I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand
singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as
One of the principles of transcendentalism is the belief that one needs to do what one has to do, but he also needs to accept the consequences of his own actions. 
 Whitman describes the many different functions all carried out by humans in their individuality, and together they contribute to what he hears “America Singing”, which is the nation moving forward and bettering itself.
I Hear America Singing