America For Me Poem by Henry Van Dyke

America For Me

Rating: 2.8


'Tis fine to see the Old World and travel up and down
Among the famous palaces and cities of renown,
To admire the crumblyh castles and the statues and kings
But now I think I've had enough of antiquated things.

So it's home again, and home again, America for me!
My heart is turning home again and there I long to be,
In the land of youth and freedom, beyond the ocean bars,
Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars.

Oh, London is a man's town, there's power in the air;
And Paris is a woman's town, with flowers in her hair;
And it's sweet to dream in Venice, and it's great to study Rome;
But when it comes to living there is no place like home.

I like the German fir-woods in green battalions drilled;
I like the gardens of Versailles with flashing foutains filled;
But, oh, to take your had, my dear, and ramble for a day
In the friendly western woodland where Nature has her sway!

I know that Europe's wonderful, yet something seems to lack!
The Past is too much with her, and the people looking back.
But the glory of the Present is to make the Future free-
We love our land for what she is and what she is to be.

Oh, it's home again, and home again, America for me!
I want a ship that's westward bound to plough the rolling sea,
To the blessed Land of Room Enough, beyond the ocean bars,
Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars.

America For Me
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Fabrizio Frosini 07 October 2015

'' I know that Europe's wonderful, yet something seems to lack! The Past is too much with her, and the people looking back. But the glory of the Present is to make the Future free- We love our land for what she is and what she is to be. '' - Europe and its past.. with people looking back - this is true nowadays, also.. We, Europeans, are like 'lost souls' in a hollow house.. Europe should be our 'home'.. yet, it is an unfinished building, where only one room is well furnished.. and it is rented by a bank..! But - unfortunately - the present and future of America, as well, is not what H. Van Dyke hoped.. Simply look at the GOP 'circus' these days.. with all those absurd characters on stage.. A bleak future for the world, as a whole..

17 8 Reply
Kim Barney 10 June 2015

This poem was in one of my junior high textbooks. I totally agree with Mr. Van Dyke's sentiments. It's great to visit other countries, but there's no place like the U.S.A. for calling home.

11 4 Reply
Dab Fortnite 23 March 2018

Pretty daboliuos

5 3 Reply
rosi 21 June 2022

I have fond memories of this poem. My oldest sister used to recite it while washing dishes. apparently, the Catholic school we attended had assigned her the poem to memorize. Since she recited it over and over again, the rest of us younger kids learned it, too!

3 0 Reply
Blo 06 October 2021

This is a really nice poem but its really long

0 0 Reply
Joseph Pedulla 25 August 2020

To Fabrizio Frosini: This country always corrects its own mistakes. So even if you are right about the GOP, we will work ourselves to health again. We've done it in the past, and we will do it again.

5 0 Reply
Richard A. Richard 08 January 2020

In 1942, our 6th grade teacher, had every one, memorize this poem, and recite it, from memory, to the class. At our 50th class reunion, I stood up, and started, with the words, " Tis Fine to see the old world" , and every one joined, in unison, repeating every word of this patriotic, Van poem.

6 0 Reply
S. Kirchhoff 14 September 2018

Remember learning this poem in one room schoolhouse in early 50s. It is heartwarming to experience all of it again. Thank you.

2 3 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Henry Van Dyke

Henry Van Dyke

Germantown, Pennsylvania
Close
Error Success