Mighty Manhattan, with spires, and the sparkling and hurrying tides, and the ships;
The varied and ample land�the South and the North in the light�Ohio�s shores, and flashing Missouri,
And ever the far-spreading prairies, cover�d with grass and corn.
Lo! the most excellent sun, so calm and haughty;
The violet and purple morn, with just-felt breezes;
The gentle, soft-born, measureless light;
The miracle, spreading, bathing all�the fulfill�d noon;
The coming eve, delicious�the welcome night, and the stars,
Over my cities shining all, enveloping man and land.
- The lyric speaker begins by invoking the muses
- Examples include "Mighty Manhattan, with spires, and the sparking and hurrying ties, and the ships;" and "And ever the far-spreading prairies, cover'd with grass and corn" and "The violet and purple morn, with just-felt breezes;"
Connotation: the speaker describes the wonders of the Unites States in a chronological order starting with the sunrise and ending with the nighttime stars; according to the stanza, the speaker will love America forever
Attitude: Admiration, respect, love
Shifts: the speaker begins the stanza with a tone of enthusiasm for America in an additude of admiration. After the first three lines the tone shifts to an additude of respect and love for the Unites States' nature
Theme: the greatest things in life money cannot buy