Celebrate this July 4th with a curated collection of powerful and timeless poems by iconic American poets. These verses echo the spirit of freedom, resilience, and national pride that defines Independence Day.
#1 "Paul Revere's Ride" (Excerpt) – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town tonight,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry-arch
Of the North-Church-tower, as a signal-light."
#2 "I Hear America Singing" (Excerpt) – Walt Whitman
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear;
Those of mechanics—each one singing his, as it should be, blithe 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;
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench–the hatter singing as he stands;
Each singing what belongs to her, and to none else.
#3 "America the Beautiful" (Excerpt) – Katharine Lee Bates
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
#4 "Old Ironsides" (Excerpt) – Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
Aye, tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has it waved on high—
And many a sailor's gallant shout
Has mingled with its cry.
Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,
Where knelt the vanquished foe,
When winds were hurrying o'er the flood,
And waves were white below.
#5 "Let America Be America Again" (Excerpt) – Langston Hughes
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed—
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
#6 "The Republic (The Building of a Ship)" (Excerpt) – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State!
Sail on, O Union, strong and great!
Humanity with all its fears,
With all the hopes of future years,
Is hanging breathless on the fate!
We know what Master laid the keel,
What Workmen wrought thy ribs of steel,
Who made each mast, and sail, and rope.
#7 "The Gift Outright" (Excerpt) – Robert Frost
The land was ours before we were the land's.
She was our land more than a hundred years
Before we were her people. She was ours
In Massachusetts, in Virginia,
But we were England's, still colonials,
Possessing what we still were unpossessed by,
Possessed by what we now no more possessed.
#8 "America" (Excerpt) – Claude McKay
Although she feeds me bread of bitterness,
And sinks into my throat her tiger's tooth,
Stealing my breath of life, I will confess
I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.
Her vigor flows like tides into my blood,
Giving me strength erect against her hate,
Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood.
#9 "From Hail, Glorious Day!" (Excerpt) – Anonymous, 1786
Hail glorious day! Forever to be known,
When first Columbia's rising glories shone;
When first she humbled haughty Britain's pride,
And quelled of Tyranny through flowing tide.
Yes, let the ecstatic voice of joy
With glad vibrations rend the air,
Let Music all her powers employ
To banish each intrusive care.
#10 "Fourth of July" (Excerpt) – Julia A. Moore
Fourth of July, how sweet it sounds,
As every year it rolls around.
It brings active joy to boy and man,
This glorious day throughout our land.
We hail this day with joy and pride,
And speak of our forefathers who died;
Who fought for liberty in days of yore,
And drove the British from our shore.
🎉 Final Thoughts
These ten poems, drawn from across generations, showcase the enduring spirit of freedom, unity, and American pride. Whether you're reading them around a firework-lit sky or sharing with friends, they are a perfect tribute to Independence Day.
Which poem captures the spirit of July 4th for you? Share your thoughts and let's celebrate America's literary heritage!
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