Leaves of Grass · Chapter
With All Thy Gifts explained
The poem addresses America directly, celebrating its power, wealth, and global standing, but questions whether it lacks the essential gift of perfect women and mothers fit for its greatness.
What happens
The poem addresses America directly, celebrating its power, wealth, and global standing, but questions whether it lacks the essential gift of perfect women and mothers fit for its greatness.
Themes in this chapter
America and Its People
Celebrates America's power and wealth while questioning its completeness without ideal women and mothers.
Characters to notice
- America
Addressed directly as the recipient of power, wealth, and extent, yet questioned about lacking the gift of perfect women.
Key passages
“With all thy gifts America, Standing secure, rapidly tending, overlooking the world, Power, wealth, extent, vouchsafed to thee—with these and like of these vouchsafed to thee, What if one gift thou lackest? (the ultimate human problem never solving,) The gift of perfect women fit for thee—what if that gift of gifts thou lackest?”
America, you have been given power, wealth, and global influence, but what if you are missing the most important gift of all—the perfect women and mothers suited for your greatness?
Highlights the central question of the poem regarding national completeness.