Malcom Cowley, an American literary critic, once said: “Before Walt Whitman, America practically did not exist.” Walt Whitman was an American poet born in 1819 in New York, living during the era of slavery, the Civil War and the death of Abraham Lincoln. Often called "the Bard of Democracy," Whitman was best known for celebrating the freedom Americans found through their new democratic political system. Democracy is a form of government in which citizens have the power to elect leaders who represent their beliefs. Through democracy, people are treated equally and have equal rights. Whitman believed that the American form of democracy of government gave American citizens freedoms that they were not able to enjoy before this type of government was established. In many of his poems, Whitman repeats this deep love of American freedom that he expresses through his creative writings. He writes about several categories of freedom, including the freedom to pursue what one desires, the freedom to be an individual, and the freedom of equality. The poems “I Hear America Singing,” “One's-self I Sing,” and “America” reveal Whitman's love of freedom through democracy as a source of inspiration that he conveys as good news to Americans. In the poem “I Hear America Singing,” the freedom for everyone to pursue what they love is highlighted throughout Whitman’s writings. The struggle to achieve his dreams during Whitman's lifetime was a challenge and it took a courageous person to break free from the expectations placed on him. Whitman writes, “Those of the mechanics, each singing…/The carpenter sings his as he measures…/The boatman sings…in his boat…” (lines 2, 3, and 5). Whitman uses repetition when he begins each line with characters singing while working, which places emphasis on the word "sing." By repeating the statement, he