Manesis Naylor 1

Maia Manesis Naylor

Smith

Honors Lit

24 September 2023

Synthesis paragraph

The contribution that people make to society is extremely important, whether significant

or minor, they shape the community into a unique and strong environment. Both the poem “I

Hear America Singing'' by Walt Whitman and “The American Dream Value Menu'' video

demonstrate the differences in people's American dreams, goals, and achievements. Walt

Whitman illustrated a idea of individuality in his poem, signifying “Each singing what belongs to

him or her and none else… singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.”(Whitman

9,11) displaying everyone in the world singing their different songs, all sounding beautiful

because people have different goals set in their lives based on their version of the American

dream. Likewise, the speaker in the TED talk, Harrison Scott Key, explains his dreams used to be

influenced by other's accomplishments, stating,“I'm not an NFL athlete or a Navy SEAL or even

a Faith Hill… be found by googling my name and for me that's enough. That's my

miracle”(Key). Key juxtaposes traditionally successful careers with his own, of being an author,

to demonstrate how people with different dreams all achieve marvelous experiences. Whitman

also exemplifies the idea of different standards and goals seen, “I hear America singing, the

varied carols I hear”(Whitman 1), illustrating different groups of people in his poem, using a the

metaphor of carols to signify jobs or purpose in life. The American Dream value menu and the
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poem share a common idea that dreams should not be compared to others because no matter the

complexity and impact of an achievement, it still has an impact, even if its “song” sounds

different from person to person.