Question

what inference can you make about how whitman might have felt about wealthy people who do not have to work for a living

Answer 1

This question refers to the poem "I Hear America Singing".

Answer:  

What inference can you make about how Whitman might have felt about wealthy people who do not have to work for a living?  

We can infer Whitman does see wealthy people as being as crucial for the country's identity as he sees average American workers.

Explanation:

"I Hear America Singing" is a poem that celebrates the American working class. To the speaker, every single person contributes with something important and unique through their professions. Their beautiful songs are sung by means of their work, their sweat and effort:

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,

The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,  

The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,  

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,  

The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,  

The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,  

The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,  

Notice how Whitman does not mention the wealthy. I do not believe he despises them, but perhaps he does not think of them the same way. Those who do not have to work for a living do not possess the same song or power as those who do. Their perspectives concerning life, challenges, and effort are different. Whitman chooses to elevate and celebrate those who work hard instead of idolizing those who do not.