My Country Tis of Thee
W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963)
My country tis of thee, Late land of slavery, Of thee I sing. Land where my father’s pride Slept where my mother died, From every mountain side Let freedom ring! My native country thee Land of the slave set free, Thy fame I love. I love thy rocks and rills And o’er thy hate which chills, My heart with purpose thrills, To rise above. Let laments swell the breeze And wring from all the trees Sweet freedom’s song. Let laggard tongues awake, Let all who hear partake, Let Southern silence quake, The sound prolong. Our fathers’ God to thee Author of Liberty, To thee we sing Soon may our land be bright, With Freedom’s happy light Protect us by Thy might, Great God our King.
W.E.B. Du Bois was an enlightener of the Harlem Renaissance and a civil rights advocate. He was a Harvard University graduate and paved the way for Black excellence and pride. In “My Country ’Tis of Thee” Du Bois, just like Phillis Wheatley, uses common grounds to appeal to his audience. In his poem, he paints an image of hope and change through what unites and excites all Americans: patriotism. Simultaneously, he talks about our ugly history that we too often try and forget, or sugarcoat. Du Bois makes it a point not to sugarcoat the truth. He makes it a point to speak up, ensuring visibility and equality for Black voices. This is a patriotic poem, not only because he Du Bois talks about his love for American freedom bit because he criticizes America. True patriotism is being able to point out the negative along with the positive, as this is the only way for progress.
Why did I choose this piece?
W.E.B Du Bois is a crucial voice of change and progress that we constantly need to be reminded of. We need to be reminded that voices of hate are swept away by the voices of change, not echos of our dangerous past. His piece includes themes of resilience and strength, leading to progress and harmony.
