Leaves of Grass · Chapter
With All Thy Gifts explained
The poem addresses America directly, celebrating its power, wealth, and global standing, but questions whether it lacks the essential gift of perfect women and mothers fit for its greatness.
What happens
The poem addresses America directly, celebrating its power, wealth, and global standing, but questions whether it lacks the essential gift of perfect women and mothers fit for its greatness.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the speaker fully internalizes the world’s suffering, feeling…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- America and Its People
Celebrates America's power and wealth while questioning its completeness without ideal women and mothers.
Characters to notice
- America
Addressed directly as the recipient of power, wealth, and extent, yet questioned about lacking the gift of perfect women.
Key passages
“With all thy gifts America, Standing secure, rapidly tending, overlooking the world, Power, wealth, extent, vouchsafed to thee—with these and like of these vouchsafed to thee, What if one gift thou lackest? (the ultimate human problem never solving,) The gift of perfect women fit for thee—what if that gift of gifts thou lackest?”
America, you have been given power, wealth, and global influence, but what if you are missing the most important gift of all—the perfect women and mothers suited for your greatness?
Highlights the central question of the poem regarding national completeness.
