Analyzing Carl Sandburg's Poem Chicago

Chicago by Carl sanburg

The poem Chicago by Carl Sandburg in the beginning seems to be a portrayal of the negavite aspects of the city Chicago itself. As the reader continues in the poem you realize that the poem isn’t downplaying the city but infact it’s a somewhat tribute to the city of Chicago and the workers or people who live there. The overall theme is that even though Chicago has its negatives the people there are still hard workers and proud to be from Chicago.
The poems Chicago reads like somewhat of a testimonial to the city. It gives the view of an impoverished but yet not defeated outlook onit. The form is written like a dramatic monologue and almost like a eulogy in my opinion. The speaker of the popem is someone from Chicago because the fifth stanza reads “and having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city;”. Here the person states Chicago as being his/her city and goes on to
In the first half of the poem Sandburg uses words like wicked, crocked and brutal in reference to Chicago. He uses the word wicked to for prostitutes; and describes them as painted women who lure farm boys in, He describes the justice system as crooked because the gunman can kill and receive no punishment for their crimes. Also he refers to the city as brutal because of the amount of poverty and hunger by saying “on the faces of women and children I have seen the marks of wanton hunger.” By the end of the first half Sanburg is agreing with the bad reputation that Chicago has. So therefore initially the reader would think that whatthe poem is about. He then takes a turn in the second half by stating “and having answred so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city…Come and show me another city with lifted heads singing…”. Sandburg is basically saying that eventhough the city of Chicago has it’s vices, everyone in the city is just trying to earn a living and at the end of the day the city remains