Metaphor in chicago by carl sandburg

Critical Analysis of Sandburg's Poem "Chicago"

Carl Sandburg's "Chicago" is more than a poem. It's a time capsule that holds the legacy of one of the most important industrial cities and its feel at the turn of the 20th century.

Carl sandburg chicago meaning of name A Couplet That Uses Alliteration. This is probably to make it more relatable to several generations of audience, even those who are unaware of the circumstances in Chicago or USA as a whole during the 20th century. The poet personifies the city in a lot of ways , and by the end of it, it seems less like a city and more like a merry man, toiling around the place. We handpick every product we feature.

Originally published in "Poetry" magazine in , the poem gave Chicago the moniker "The City of the Big Shoulders," a name that has lived on to the present day. Sandburg used several techniques to capture Chicago, including matching his word choices to the rhythm and feel of the city.

Look Who's Talking

Sandburg takes a firm authorial stance by choosing first person for "Chicago." Thanks to his use of the word "I," the reader can connect with Sandburg's convictions; in other words, the author holds his strong feelings up to the reader unabashedly and owns these feelings.

Sandburg also establishes his credibility by using the phrase "I have seen" multiple times. The reader understands Sandburg as an authoritative figure, one who is writing from personal experience.

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Negativity?

Carl sandburg chicago meaning Many lines have a melodic flow that builds and climaxes with the staccato punch of one-syllable words. Sandburg also establishes his credibility by using the phrase "I have seen" multiple times. References [ edit ]. Later in school, his writing was appreciated and published by a supportive professor, Philip Green Wright.

No Problem

One way Sandburg so powerfully portrays Chicago is through choice of content; instead of creating a glossy image of perfection, he includes and rebuts the negatives of the city. He admits to Chicago's blights, including prostitution, crime and poverty, but notes that the city is strong regardless of these problems -- strong and proud and fierce.

The gritty spirit of the city shines through in a way that is more powerful than if Sandburg had sugarcoated the negatives.

Figurative Language

Sandburg effectively uses a handful of figurative language types in "Chicago." Simile is used several times, such as in the line "Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping"; metaphor, too, can be found, as when Sandburg calls the city a "tall, bold slugger." Personification is also in evidence, especially in the latter half of the poem, where Sandburg writes of the city that "…under his wrist is the pulse."

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Words Matter

Sandburg wrote predominately free-verse poems, which are poems with no regulated rhyme or meter structure, and "Chicago" is no exception.

This doesn't mean, however, that the piece is without musicality.

Carl sandburg chicago analysis This is probably to make it more relatable to several generations of audience, even those who are unaware of the circumstances in Chicago or USA as a whole during the 20th century. June 13, by Website Contributors. The poet, however, also accepts these failures and goes on to the positive side of the city despite these shortcomings. The second section moves on to the cruel instances in the city and the poet acknowledges them, with the starving population and those ruthless enough to fight one another.

Many lines have a melodic flow that builds and climaxes with the staccato punch of one-syllable words. The words Sandburg chooses are important for more than this rhythm, however. His word choice tends toward hard, demanding, even negative action words: "sneer" and "'toil" and "wrecking" and "bragging." Each of these words contributes to the vivid and fast-moving quality of the poem -- a quality that matches the city itself.

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