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"America The Beautiful"
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America The Beautiful"America the Beautiful" was written by Katharine Lee Bates, an instructor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Bates wrote the poem in 1893 while on a trip to Colorado to see Pike’s Peak. When her group got to the top, the view was so awe-inspiring that she wrote the lyrics for the tune that is considered America’s unofficial national anthem. "America the Beautiful" appeared in print for the first time in The Congregationalist on July 4, 1895. Bates rewrote the lyrics twice, first in 1904 and then again in 1913. The tune of the song was not always the same as it is today. At first, the song was sung to the melody of "Auld Lang Syne." Several years later, the National Federation of Music Clubs wanted to put the poem to music, but no tune they received seemed to fit. "America the Beautiful" is sung today to"Materna," written by Samuel A. Ward. His song was published almost ten years before the poem was. Bates never told if she liked the "Materna" melody associated with her words. America The Beautiful 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.
O beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine ev’ry 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 ev’ry 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.
Bates is quoted about her visit to Pike’s Peak that inspired "America The Beautiful": "One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000-foot Pike’s Peak. We hired a prairie wagon. Near the top we had to leave the wagon and go the rest of the way on mules. I was very tired. But when I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse." "America The Beautiful" |
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