The term “Anthemism” originates from the title of Ayn Rand’s novelette Anthem. This inspiring work, written in poetic prose, is read by thousands of high school students each year through the Ayn Rand Institute’s Books for Teachers program. From the book cover:

“Anthem has long been hailed as one of Ayn Rand’s classic novels, and a clear predecessor to her later masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. In Anthem, Rand examines a frightening future in which individuals have no name, no independence, and no values. Equality 7-2521 lives in the dark ages of the future where all decisions are made by committee, all people live in collectives, and all traces of individualism have been wiped out.”

“A new generation has discovered that Rand’s Anthem is more socially relevant today than it was when it was written seventy-five years ago. Anthem is the classic story about the consequences of social collectivism and the importance of individualism. Anthem has been described as ‘one of the most important prose poems ever written.’”

“In her usage of the English language she combines clarity of expression with prose of poetic grace. Here, indeed, is an anthem-an anthem, not in the idiom of music, but in the more difficult medium of words alone. This is the most beautiful, the most inspiring novel this reviewer has ever read. It is an ethical and philosophical rather than a religious dedication to freedom and the individual.” — Joan DeArmond, Fact Forum News

“Reading this inspired little story is a rewarding and satisfying experience which no American should deny himself.” — All-American Books