I did not know much about Carl Sandburg so I decided to look up some information that would give me an understanding of who he was and the type of person he was as a poet. Sandburg quit school when he was young and worked several jobs. Sandburg's experiences working and traveling had an impact on they way he wrote. He was familiar with the outside world and he knew the difference with rich and poor.
Sandburg lived in Chicago and he is given us, the readers the imagery of what Chicago was like back then. He helps you be able to see the town. He describes the negatives,but that does not out weight the good. Sandburg is proud of the city of Chicago, He write "Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning." He knows there are some not so good things in the city, but he still loves is and is truely fond of it.
When he talks about Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads, etc. He is breaking down the industrial jobs that were available then.
Sandburg' poem " Chicago" is known as being one of the best works of the 20th Century. This poem is a realistic look at a city growing so fast that its population is on the rise. Sandburg calls the city of Chicago, The City of Big Shoulders. I find Sandburg expression by the use of a variety of techniques.
The background you mention really gives a lot of depth to what we know about Sandburg that is also expressed in his poetry. His involvement in politics and the world really speaks to his later poetry that emphasizes the good and bad of Chicago, war, dead presidents, and the like. I think the description in "Chicago" rather accurately describes the city as I think of it in 1914 when it was written and also during the Chicago World's Fair years earlier.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the background! I like Sandburg's sense of pride for the city of Chicago in the poem.
ReplyDeleteThat was some interesting background information about Sandburg. It gives some more meaning to the poem "Chicago" in particular. And I agree with you that he does have a sort of pride for the city.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how similar experiences can lead to such different outcomes in thinking about things... namely in my mind I'm comparing this poem with Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle". Such pride on one end and such despair on the other... it makes you wonder where it comes from, where the driving forces are.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the background. It provides some insight into Sandburg's writing. We discussed in class whether this poem was of a depressing nature or not and I believe that you are correct in saying he has pride for the city and that the poem, although initially sounding depressing, is not actually so.
ReplyDeleteThank you for providing us with background on the author. It makes it (as the previous comments have expressed) easier to read and appreciate the poem in the way that it was intended. The culture of the time in relation to how it was displayed in the poem gives us a deeper insight into potential nuances. As Lyle said, it is indeed interesting how two people can have such a contrasting view of one place depending on their experiences.
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