_I hear America singing_ ...
And the great prophet passed,
Serene, clear and untroubled
Into the silence vast.
When will the master-poet
Rise, with vision strong,
To mold her manifold music
Into a living song?
_I hear America singing_ ...
Beyond the beat and stress,
The chant of her shrill, unjaded,
Empiric loveliness.
Laughter, beyond mere scorning,
Wisdom surpassing wit,
Love, and the unscathed spirit,
These shall encompass it.
_Alice Corbin_