America the Beautiful

Unlike some other patriotic songs, “America the Beautiful” does not simply glorify the country. To be clear, most of the song does offer a utopian vision of America, but the way Bates uses the past, present, and future and the way she uses God lead to a unique entry in the nationalistic genre.

Her glorification of America is rooted in its beauty, not in its uniqueness among nations or in its principles and historical impact. This makes sense considering Bates wrote the poem after being inspired by the nature she saw on a cross-country train trip to Colorado. The epic scale of America’s natural landscape is amplified when traveling through it on a slow train. As a passenger, Bates was able to take in the wonder of the land without rushing, and when she finally arrived in Colorado Springs, a city at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, she had a whole year to immerse herself in nature. It’s no wonder the first line is about the open skies of America, as Colorado enjoys more sunny days per year than any other state in the country. Almost the entirety of the first stanza is dedicated to the beauty of Colorado Springs and the view atop Pikes Peak, a 14,000-foot mountain and the crown jewel of the city.