Analyzing Woodie Guthrie's 'This Land Is Your Land'

Carley Whitehorse

Professor Silva

English 200

January 3, 2016

This Land Is Your Land

This Land was made for you and me, but was it really? I do not believe this is a true statement. I believe that each person believes they are entitled to their own space and their owns thoughts and depending on where you are in the world and what beliefs and lifestyles you live, you may not believe any land in which are you on feels like it belongs to you or that you share the same values as those you are surrounded by.
In the poem written by Woodie Guthrie, he clearly explains his beliefs as to why America the land of the free can belong to both you and me. He clearly defines why it’s an equal land for everyone to venture about and take in the delights
but what this poem is considered to me would be historical criticism.
It’s a wonderfully written poem and I believe that it is very understandable that the miles of land that we all have to share when Guthrie says
“As I was walking, that ribbon of highway,
I saw above me that endless skyway,
I saw below me that golden valley, This land was made for you and me”
(Guthrie) are doubtfully beautiful, he talks about some of the struggles that still do exist in our society such as
“In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people; As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?
Reading the history behind Woodie Guthrie’s life, it is interesting to see the travels that brought about why he had seen America so beautifully. In the 1940’s, America was still remarkably untouched as to how we see it today and he was a proud American. He was a merchant marine who was able to travel from coast to coast taking in the different lives being lived and among them he was able to learn the values and traditions throughout the country. Yes, there were many different types of race and religion, but there was a sense that equality was not as defined as in todays’ world. Today’s society seems very segregated yet segregation ended in 1914.
The segregation we face today is slightly different than that of the 1940’s.
Thou, it still deals with wealth an class structure, it is spread out differently. To me, when asked if this land was made for you and me, I would say no. There are different values and the structure seems to be hazy and there are too many opinions. This is a good and a bad thing at the same time. Good because ideas are in abundance but bad because as the old saying goes “too many chiefs, not enough Indians.” American may be the land of freedom and opportunity yes, but is it truly a place for everyone?
This poem was also said to be a Marxian response to the well-known song “God Bless America” which was seemingly over played on the radio after the war since patriotism was what fueled the economy and the turning of the war. Guthrie was more or less sick of listening to the radio and knew that the general population would enjoy music that helped to give and imaginary vacation and bring delight to each persons
day.
Reading this poem and trying to relate it to the world today can get interesting.
On the news you see daily the different cultures attempting to seek refuge within America to live in the land of the free and seemingly, everyone is forgetting the beauty of this land. Every person who lives within these boarders are still struggling on all different levels in life. From looking for employment to looking for a reason to believe in anything, each and every moment the reason Guthrie was able to take in the free land is being diminished. We over look the beauty and the freedoms that we do have and many of our neighbors do not believe that each person is entitled to call this land their own. It’s a place of opinion these days it seems and sometimes it seems we are going backwards. Optimism is seen in words Guthrie writes. Readers and listeners believe and can see the land of opportunity in which is being spoken or read. Are we still seeing America as this land or rolling beauty? Much of the land being described has become contaminated and either torn up and left to crumble such as areas like Detroit where it’s still struggling to be a city out of debt and a city of development and opportunity.
It is very interesting to see in this version of the poem, that it contains the original verses “As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing.
That side was made for you and
me.
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me? “ “These extra verses, which were never recorded and surfaced only in the late 1990s, reflect Guthrie's personal fight for equality for America's working class at a time when the working class was greatly suffering.” (Bick, 2012)
In my opinion, Woodie Guthrie was speaking truthfully about those who lived in America when this song was wrote but as time has passed, I do not believe that everyone should share our land. Those who desire to ruin the beauty of the vast rolling hills and the blue waters should not share this with those who would love to cherish the history of the land and keep the traditions of before.

References
Woodie Guthrie, Composition and Literature, McGraw-Hill, United States of America, 2014, Paper
Anna Bick, “”Inside American Experience: Is this land made for you and me?”” http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/blog/2012/04/02/guthrie/, April 02, 2012, Accessed January 03, 2016