Walt Whitman celebrates the varied songs sung by everyday Americans as they go about their work. He hears the songs of mechanics, carpenters measuring wood, masons working, boatmen on ships and steamboats, shoemakers, hatters, woodcutters, plowboys, mothers, wives, and girls doing chores. Each sings songs related to their own work or role. At night, young men gather to sing robust, friendly songs with open mouths.
