THE WESTERN AMERICAN
January, 1923
POEMS AND SONGS OF AMERICA
And there’s a nice fellow of excellent pith,—
Fate tried to conceal him by naming him Smith,
But he shouted a song for the brave and the free,—
Just read on his medal, “My Country ’Tis of Thee!”
'T'HUS SINGS Oliver Wendell Holmes of
1 Samuel Francis Smith in his poem “The
Boys.” The two were classmates at Harvard
University. Dr. Smith, the author of “Amer­
ica,” the song that more than any other song
is dear to the hearts of every American, was
born in Boston, October 21, 1808. For many
years he was pastor of the First Baptist
Church in Newton, Massachusetts. After
many years spent in the pulpit he resigned
from his pastorate for the purpose of devot­
ing himself to literary and religious pursuits.
In a letter dated Newton Centre, Massa­
chusetts, June 11, 1861, Dr. Smith wrote of
his favorite poem “America”: “The song
was written at Andover during my student
life there, I think in the winter of 1831-2.
It was first used publicly at a Sunday school
celebration held on one July 4th occasion, in
the Park Street Church at Boston. I had
in my possession a quantity of German song­
books, from which I was selecting such music
as pleased me and finding ‘God Save the
King,’ I proceeded to give it the ring of
American republican patriotism.”
Little perhaps did this American patriot
and scholar, pulpit orator and author dream
that his soulful poem of his student days
was destined to become a growing nation’s
patriotic prayer, Before his death in 1895
he had come to realize, however, that his
song had gradually become the choice song
through which millions of America gave
vent to their heartfelt patriotic fervor.
In a reference to his friend, Mr. Holmes
once remarked: “Now there’s Smith. His
name will be honored by every school child
in the land when I have been forgotten a
hundred years. He wrote ‘My Country ’Tis
of Thee.* If he had said ‘Our Country’ the
hymn would not have been immortal, but
that ‘My’ was a master-stroke. Every one
who sings the hymn at once feels a personal
ownership in his native land. The hymn
will last as long as the country.”
A lover of nature as much as a lover of
liberty, Samuel Francis Smith saw in the
glories of nature his theme for rejoicing
with the pilgrims for the wonderful land
God had given them and with the fathers
who had fought and died to keep the coun-
try free, To Smith the trees of the wood­
land, the cocks and rills,” “the templed
■hills” and every majestic mountain told the
story which he so beautifully has interpreted
in his “Sweet Freedom’s Song” of this shrine
of human liberty.
Perhaps you have just sung “America”
as any other song. Read the verses below,
over and over again. Put your heart in tune
with the hallowed sentiments that are the
story of America and you will sing it differ­
ently the next time. Then you will perhaps
perceive the thrilling joy of the patriotism
that inspired this young student to deliver
this immortal message.
AMERICA
Words by Samuel Francis Smith
My country ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing:
Land where my father’s died!
Land of the pilgrims’ pride!
From ev’ry mountain side
Let freedom ring!
Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom’s song:
Let mortal tongues awake
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.
My native country, thee,
Land of the noble, free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills:
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.
Our fathers’ God! to thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing:
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!
50 Illuminant, 2 degree observer
II