AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL
AMERICA, THE BEAUTIFUL
Words by Katharine Lee Bates, Melody by Samuel Ward
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
“Purple Mountain Majesty,” painting by Wanda Mumm
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good
with brother/sister hood
From sea
to shining sea!
May God Bless America
As we break for the fourth of July holiday, we remember that this date, aka Independence Day, commemorates the passage of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. That event severed the political ties of the 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain.
Although the actual vote for independence took place on July 2nd, since that date Americans have celebrated July 4th—the day the announcement of that act was finalized—as the official birth of American independence.
The two stories below of how the poem and its embodiment in the familiar melody, came about, are odes to inspiration.
The lyrics of “America the Beautiful" were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. [1] The two never met. [2]
Katharine Lee Bates
Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929)
In 1893, Katherine Lee Bates, who was an English professor at Wellesley College, had taken a train trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Several of the natural sights on her trip inspired her. [5] One, in particular, was the majestic view of the Great Plains from the top of Pikes Peak. [7][8].
“Purple mountain majesties”View of Pikes Peak from Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado
When she was at the summit of the mountain, the words of the poem started to come to her. She was inspired and she wrote them when she returned to her hotel room. [9][10][13]
Commemoration plaque at Pikes Peak summit, July 1999
Bates wrote the words as a poem that was originally titled "Pikes Peak". It was first published two years later in the Fourth of July 1895 edition of Grace Episcopal Church’s periodical, The Congregationalist. At that time, the poem was titled "America". [10]
Samuel Augustus Ward
Samuel Augustus Ward (1848-1903)
Just as Bates had been inspired to write her poem, Ward, too, was inspired. The melody came to him on a summer day while he was on a ferry from Coney Island, traveling back to his home in New York City, and he immediately wrote it down. [12]
Do we ever wonder: from where does inspiration arise?
These additional stanzas continue the vision…
O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
…to be continued
with our return to the environmentalist movement
Resources:
Wikipedia References:
1. "'America the Beautiful' began in Newark | Di Ionno". March 17, 2016. Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
2. Andy Pease, "'America the Beautiful' by Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel Augustus Ward, arr. Carmen Dragon" (Archived February 22, 2018, at the Wayback Machine), Wind Band Literature, July 1, 2014; accessed 2019-08-17.
5. Cooney, Beth (November 9, 2001). "A Stirring Story Behind 'America the Beautiful'". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on January 25, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
7. America the Beautiful". The Library of Congress. Archived from the original on July 5, 2017. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
8. Ponder, Melinda M. (2017). Katharine Lee Bates: From Sea to Shining Sea. Chicago, IL: Windy City Publishers.
9. "America the Beautiful". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
10. Baxter, Sylvester (October 31, 1918). "America the Beautiful". The Journal of Education. 88 (16 (2202)): 428–429.
12. Collins, Ace (2003). Songs Sung Red, White, and Blue: The Stories Behind America's Best-Loved Patriotic Songs. Harper. p. 19.
• 13. Bluegrass Messengers, “America the Beautiful.”
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