America the Beautiful

“America the Beautiful”
“America the Beautiful”, a renowned, well-known, patriotic hymn, illustrates the Godly, Patriotic, foundation America was founded on. I have been singing this song since I was in preschool. We sing this song usually once a week at our flag ceremony, and it truly reminds me of the great sacrifice of people to make this nation a better place. This essay intends to give the reader an understanding of “America the Beautiful” and its background, its author and tune composer, and personal thoughts on the hymn.
First, the words “America the Beautiful” originate to the year of 1893, in Colorado during a journey on Pike’s Peak, by Katherine Lee Bates. Bates was on a lecture trip, said that the lyrics were inspired when “I was looking out over the sea-like expanse of fertile country spreading away so far under those ample skies…” (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/…). Ironically, Bates’ lyrics first appeared as a poem published in The Congregationalist on July 4, 1895. This was exactly 119 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Bates later revised her lyrics, and publishing another copy in 1904, and finally, produced final lyrics we use today in 1913. “For several years "America the Beautiful" was sung to almost any popular air or folk tune with which the lyrics fit: "Auld Lang Syne" was one of the most common.” (http://lcweb2.loc.gov…). Today, “America the Beautiful” is sung to a tune written in 1882 by Samuel Augustus Ward titled “Materna”. The National Federation of Music actually held a competition to find a different tune for “America the Beautiful”, but were unable to come to a verdict. Therefore, Ward’s composition prevailed and remains as today’s tune to the song.
Second, both the author of lyrics, Katherine Lee Bates, and tune composer, Samuel Augustus Ward, led well-known lives. First, the author of lyrics, Katherine Lee Bates, was born in Massachusetts in 1859. She grew up in a poor family, but her mother emphasized the...