"America The Beautiful"
was first written as a poem titled "Pikes Peak" by Katherine Anne Bates who never met Samuel A. Ward, the composer of "America The Beautiful's" musical setting.
Original poem (1893)
O beautiful for halcyon skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the enameled plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, Till souls wax fair as earth and air And music-hearted sea! O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern, impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God shed His grace on thee Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought By pilgrim foot and knee! O beautiful for glory-tale Of liberating strife, When once or twice, for man's avail, Men lavished precious life! America! America! God shed His grace on thee Till selfish gain no longer stain, The banner of the free! 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 Till nobler men keep once again Thy whiter jubilee! |
1904 version
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 glorious tale Of liberating strife, When valiantly for man's avail Men lavish precious 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. |
1911 version
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 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! |
Alan: It is in the nature of things that there are two "sides" to every large human enterprise.
Not surprisingly, there have been two sides -- at least in American hearts and minds -- to the selection of our National Anthem.
On one side was the belligerent, triumphalist song, "The Star Spangled Banner," written in glorification of war.
Alternatively, we witness the enduring attraction of "America, The Beautiful," a tender, gracious, aspirational song, written by Katherine Lee Bates in the summer of 1893 while teaching English at Colorado College.
"One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000-foot Pikes 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."
Ms. Bates was "pair-bonded" for life to her companion Katherine Coman, a fellow professor with whom she taught at Wellesley College.
Notably, "in the late 19th century, of the 53 women faculty members at Wellesley, only one of them was conventionally married to a man." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_Lee_Bates
"America, The Beautiful" is rooted in a vision of prolific virtue, recognizing that "the good" is all around but still in need of devotion, dedication and perseverance to complete the mystical task of incarnating divine grace - fully - on the face of the earth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_the_Beautiful
According to Bates' vision, America would become, through "brotherhood" and "nobleness," a heroic place where people "loved mercy more than life."
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!
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