Chicago

Carl Sandburg The first thing that struck me in this piece was the structure. There are essentially five sections. The beginning section is the "worker" section, personifying the city as its occupational role, its contribution to the world. Within the main section "1" lines four through five use the listing of adjectives to describe the worker (that is to say the city). This listing technique is repeated in the main section "3". It is notable that Sandburg uses active verbs, giving the description of the city the feeling of movement, a perfect feeling for the city that is always working. Section "2" is characterized by the accusation, response format. By using the "they" versus the writer/the city tension is created, giving the poem more emotion and power in the response. If Sandburg simply wrote "I have seen...I have seen..." it would be very flat and would lose interest quickly.

I love some of the images he uses: "Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action"- a nasty carnal image- "dust all over his mouth, laughing with white teeth"- once again gross, yet a perfect black (dust)/ white (teeth) contrast. Finally the repetition of laughing/laughs provides a contrast to the stark images of the prostitutes, gun violence, hunger, savageness preceding section "4." Within section "4" there is a sharp contrast with the use of laughing. Without laughing/ laughs the section would read as:

Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, --- with white teeth,
Under the terrible burden of destiny --- as a young man---,
--- even as an ignorant fighter --- who has never lost a battle,
Bragging and ----- that under his wrist is the pulse. and under his ribs
the heart of the people,
------!
Laughing also becomes a smooth transition into section"5". This is the conclusion section, incorporating all of the earlier elements used. First Laughing, then active verbs, and ending with the same worker roles that started the poem. In this way the poem goes full circle.

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: [1]

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. Flinging magnetic curses amid the toil of piling job on job, here is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities [2]
Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning as a savage pitted
against the wilderness,
Bareheaded,
Shoveling,
Wrecking,
Planning,
Building, breaking, rebuilding, [3]
Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with white teeth,
Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young man laughs,
Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has never lost a battle,
Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse. and under his ribs
the heart of the people,
Laughing! [4]
Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth, half-naked, sweat-
ing, proud to be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player
with Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation. [5]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3388/3306341945_666cac3e47.jpg


The way Sandburg describes the city is very personal. It is very reminiscent of the song "Under the Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Sometimes I feel
Like I don't have a partner
Sometimes I feel
Like my only friend
Is the city I live in
The city of angels
Lonely as I am
Together we cry

I drive on her streets
Cuz she's my companion
I walk through her hills
Cuz she knows who I am
She sees my good deeds and
She kisses me windy
I never worry
Now that is a lie

I don't ever want to feel
Like I did that day
Take me to the place I love
Take me all the way
(repeat)

Yeah
(repeat x2)

It's hard to believe
That there's nobody out there
It's hard to believe
That I'm all alone
At least I have her love
The city she loves me
Lonely as I am
Together we cry

I don't ever want to feel
Like I did that day
Take me to the place I love
Take me all that way
(repeat x2)

Yeah yeah
Mo no no no
Yeah yeah
Love me I said
Yeah yeah

Under the bridge downtown
Is where I drew some blood
Under the bridge downtown
I could not get enough
Under the bridge downtown
Forgot about my love
Under the bridge downtown
I gave my life away

Yeah yeah yeah
No no no no no
Yeah yeah
No no I said
Yeah yeah
I stand

http://lyrics.rockmagic.net/lyrics/red_hot_chili_peppers/what_hits_1995.html#s10