Question

select the correct answer.
read the following excerpt from walt whitmans \i hear america singing\:
i hear america singing, the varied carols i hear,
those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blitheglad; cheerful disposition and strong,
the carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
the mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
the boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand
singing on the steamboat deck...
why does whitman highlight the \singing\ of different types of workers as making up the voice of america?
a. whitman wants to unite the working class by using workers from various occupations.
b. whitman wants to highlight how diverse americans are by using workers from different backgrounds.
c. whitman wants to highlight the industriousness of americans and to allow readers to see themselves reflected in the poem.
d. whitman wants to let the rich empathize with the working class of america.

Explanation:

The poem "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman features different workers (mechanics, carpenter, mason, boatman, deckhand) singing. The key is to analyze the purpose of highlighting their "singing". Option A says he wants to unite the working class with various occupations' workers. The poem shows diverse workers, and their collective singing (voices) represents the unity of the working class in America. Option B mentions "different backgrounds" but the focus is on occupations, not backgrounds. Option C is about industriousness and readers seeing themselves, but the main theme is the unity of the working class through their varied work - related songs. Option D is about empathy, but the core is unity of the working class via different workers' songs. So A is correct as it aligns with the idea of uniting the working class through workers of various occupations.

Answer:

A. Whitman wants to unite the working class by using workers from various occupations.