Sanburg anthropomorphizes Chicago as an industrious man, to represent the city and the kind of person it takes to build it.
Textual Evidence:
“sweating, proud to be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation.”
Explanation: The last stanza of the poem becomes ambiguous whether the author is describing the industrial city or an industrious man; this is in order to emphasize the tone of Chicago: a diverse city that has flaws and strengths. Yet, the city as a whole represents the optimistic, diligent way of living and the strength it takes to build and rebuild it.
Explanation: The last stanza of the poem becomes ambiguous whether the author is describing the industrial city