Chicago: The Corrupt City By Carl Sandburg

Near the beginning of the 1900’s, Chicago was not highly thought of and had a bad reputation. Common phrases that Chicago was known by was “Hog Butcher for the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads, and the Nation’s Freight Handler, Stormy, husky, brawling, City of the Big Shoulders.” (lines 1-5). During this era, Chicago was widely known as a city that was perfect for crime, or was otherwise known as the “The Corrupt City’’. Carl Sandburg was conscious of this reputation that Chicago had created for itself and was very straightforward when speaking of it. Granting all of this, Sandburg took gratification in his city. He ignored all of the other names his city was given, and instead of looking at the bad, he found all of the great aspects his city had. Carl Sandburg produced a proud and honest tone throughout his poem ‘’Chicago’’, he does this through the usage of imagery and strong diction. …show more content…
To help comprehend the proud tone in this poem, Sandburg used powerful, elaborate words. For example, he uses words strong diction in saying, “ Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive, and coarse and strong and cunning.” (lines 10-11). Words like coarse, strong, and cunning are describing how he is proud of the city. Previously in the poem, he described Chicago as “Hog Butcher for the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight Handler..” (lines 1-3) contrary to saying something much simpler like the city with the butchers, an industrial, hardworking, railroading city. With the use of the of these descriptive words, they help the reader think of a more prouder tone than just saying short, simple, and non descriptive words. At the same time, with Sandburg using these descriptive words and long developed phrases, he brings about his proud tone of his