Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A.E.F. by CARL SANDBURG

Poet Analysis

First Line: THERE WILL BEA RUSTY GUN ON THE WALL, SWEETHEART
Last Line: THEY WILL TELL THE SPIDER: GO ON, YOU'RE DOING GOOD WORK.
Subject(s): RIFLES; WORLD WAR I; FIRST WORLD WAR;
There will be a rusty gun on the wall, sweetheart,
The rifle grooves curling with flakes of rust.
A spider will make a silver string nest in the darkest, warmest corner of it.
The trigger and the range-finder, they too will be rusty.
And no hands will polish the gun, and it will hang on the wall.
Forefingers and thumbs will point absently and casually toward it.
It will be spoken among half-forgotten, wished-to-be-forgotten things.
They will tell the spider: Go on, you're doing good work.



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