Carl Sandburg’s Chicago may be widely interpreted as one man’s visualization of his city.
The author’s use of a sort of ordered free verse reflects the controlled chaos within the city itself. One must be well familiarized with Chicago and all of its parts and citizens to truly understand the order of the city’s work, play, and crime. Sandburg also uses numerous adjectives and similes, which applies a sort of personal, human-like aura to this city. In the first half of the poem, Sandburg describes Chicago as “Wicked, crooked and brutal… is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities,” (6, 9, 12, 21-22) which is switched around later in the poem.
This poem is so much more than just what a person sees around local streets …show more content…
Anyone who looks at Chicago has to look at all of its horrid, painted, sweaty faces to truly see the appeal of the city. Chicago would be nothing without any of these personas, because they all balance themselves out. On the outside is a pretty face, behind that is a crooked mind, which works hand-in-hand with a good heart.
Sandburg begins with the hard-working positive part of the city that most people think about when Chicago crosses their mind. Perhaps this is what Sandburg wants to come to people’s minds when they think of Chicago, rather than the high-flying crime rate and destruction just beneath the thin skin of pride and production. The author grabs the reader’s attention with attractive adjectives for the better part of the city, and then keeps the reader intrigued by going deeper into the heart of ‘Chi-raq’.
Carl Sandburg wrote Chicago not to make one love or hate the city, but rather for the reader to understand why Chicago is so important and why every town, city, village, or community is vital to America. One must look past the dirt and grime of the city streets to
The author’s use of a sort of ordered free verse reflects the controlled chaos within the city itself. One must be well familiarized with Chicago and all of its parts and citizens to truly understand the order of the city’s work, play, and crime. Sandburg also uses numerous adjectives and similes, which applies a sort of personal, human-like aura to this city. In the first half of the poem, Sandburg describes Chicago as “Wicked, crooked and brutal… is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities,” (6, 9, 12, 21-22) which is switched around later in the poem.
This poem is so much more than just what a person sees around local streets …show more content…
Anyone who looks at Chicago has to look at all of its horrid, painted, sweaty faces to truly see the appeal of the city. Chicago would be nothing without any of these personas, because they all balance themselves out. On the outside is a pretty face, behind that is a crooked mind, which works hand-in-hand with a good heart.
Sandburg begins with the hard-working positive part of the city that most people think about when Chicago crosses their mind. Perhaps this is what Sandburg wants to come to people’s minds when they think of Chicago, rather than the high-flying crime rate and destruction just beneath the thin skin of pride and production. The author grabs the reader’s attention with attractive adjectives for the better part of the city, and then keeps the reader intrigued by going deeper into the heart of ‘Chi-raq’.
Carl Sandburg wrote Chicago not to make one love or hate the city, but rather for the reader to understand why Chicago is so important and why every town, city, village, or community is vital to America. One must look past the dirt and grime of the city streets to