But Chicago is still "my kind of town!"
CHICAGO
(1914, 1916)
By Carl Sandburg
(1914, 1916)
By Carl Sandburg
Hog Butcher for the World,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,
Player with Railroads and the Nations' Freight Handler;
City of the Big Shoulders:
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;
Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning as a savage pitted again the
Wilderness,
Bareheaded
Shoveling,
Wrecking,
Planning,
Building, breaking, rebuilding,
Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with white teeth,
Under the terrific 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!
Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth, half-naked, sweating, proud
To be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads
And Freight Handler to the Nation.
Player with Railroads and the Nations' Freight Handler;
City of the Big Shoulders:
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;
Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning as a savage pitted again the
Wilderness,
Bareheaded
Shoveling,
Wrecking,
Planning,
Building, breaking, rebuilding,
Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with white teeth,
Under the terrific 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!
Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth, half-naked, sweating, proud
To be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads
And Freight Handler to the Nation.
4 comments:
Sandburg originated from Galesburg, Illinois, about an hour from where I grew up. Though I am not a native Chicagoan, after living in that beautiful city for over a decade, she got in my blood and I still consider it a part of my home. I memorized this poem for a class while at Moody and I love it like so many of Sandburg Chicago's poems. Thank you for your post.
Very cool poem Mom. Growing up and even today, if you asked me what was the coolest most exotic city I would answer Chicago. Queretaro is just my hometown, Chicago is foreign and cool.
Oops, apparently I am logged in as Livovichhousehold - this is Kris (in case you could't tell)
I thought it was funny that Michael said Queretaro was his hometown!! But that's OK - it's a nice hometown! For me, Chicago is foreign and cool, Queretaro (actually Mexico City) is my hometown!!
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