Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Chicago" is a poem by Carl Sandburg that celebrates the vitality and spirit of the city of Chicago. The poem was first published in 1914.

The poem is written in free verse. The poem's language and imagery evoke a sense of energy and movement, as the speaker reflects on the way that the city of Chicago embodies the spirit of America.

The poem begins with the iconic lines, "Hog Butcher for the World, / Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, / Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler." The speaker notes that Chicago is a city of industry and commerce, a place where the work of the people shapes the destiny of the nation.

Throughout the poem, the speaker reflects on the way that the city of Chicago is a place of struggle and hardship, but also a place of triumph and hope. The speaker notes that the city is a place of diversity, where people from all walks of life come together to create something greater than themselves.

The poem's emotional climax comes in the final stanza, when the speaker reflects on the way that the city of Chicago embodies the spirit of America, and the way that its people are constantly striving to build a better future. The poem ends with the iconic lines, "They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I have seen your painted women under the gas lamps luring the farm boys. / And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again. / And they tell me you are brutal and my reply is: On the faces of women and children I have seen the marks of wanton hunger. / And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them: Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning."

Overall, "Chicago" is a powerful and evocative poem that celebrates the vitality and spirit of the city of Chicago. The poem suggests that the city is a place of struggle and hardship, but also a place of triumph and hope, and that its people are constantly striving to build a better future for themselves and for America.

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