Carl Sandburg

Carl Sandburg is the poet I chose to do my oral presentation on so I happen to know quite a bit about him. Carl Sandburg was very much into the politics of chicago life and work place. The poem Chicago is a great example of this in that it starts by listing out some of the difficult jobs of this time period. He then goes on to say how wicked these jobs are and how he has seen it first hand. "And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again" (lines 8 &9). He continues describing how awful the working conditions are until he gets to his turning point. "Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning..." (lines 13&14). Sandburg then turns to his climax stating that these workers are "Fierce as a dog with toungue lapping for action". He basically says how hard working these men are but how they love it because they are tough and can do what other men in simple cities can not. "Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has never lost a battle, Braggina and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse and under his ribs the heart of the people" (lines 26-28). Sandburg finishes the poem by taking you back to his opening lines. "proud to be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and Freight handler to the Nation". (lines 31&32). I believe that Carl Sandburg new first hand what is was like to work in these hard conditions for he quit school in the eighth grade and began working. He isn't complaining about how hard the work was but instead explaining and showing how rewarding it is and how proud a person is to have pushed through these rough conditions. For those who read my blog..I hope you have enjoyed Sandburgs poem and will learn more about him in my presentation.