In 1855 Walt Whitman declared "The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem." Poetry In America celebrates the 200th anniversary of Walt Whitman's birth with Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, playwright Tony Kushner, hip hop artist Nas, composer Matthew Aucoin, baritone Davóne Tines, poets Joshua Bennett, Marilyn Chin, Christina Davis, Mark Doty, Linda Hogan, and Adrienne Raphel, a chorus of National Student Poets, and others discussing Whitman's powerful and timeless work.