I felt that there were a few gems in this seemingly unedited collection of poems. Some descriptions are clichés that one might find in a high school kid’s journal. Sandburg may have invented these clichés, but the combination of these AND the formulaic writing wear me down:
- There is an event.
- It happens to somebody in the upper crust of society.
- It is compared and contrasted against somebody in the lower rungs.
- Themes are mostly about the suffering poor.
The ones that really spoke to me:
CHICAGO POEMS
Chicago
Happiness
To certain Journeymen
Mag
Under a hat rim
Bath is cool—a man transformed by music
To a Contemporary Bunkshooter—here I don’t mind his rambling ‘cause he is kicking some hypocritical ass.
Skyscraper
HANDFULS
Fog
Pool
Choose
Crimson
Troths
WAR POEMS
Iron
Murmurings
Buttons
And they obey
Wars
THE ROAD AND THE END—zilch
FOGS AND FIRES
At a Window
Under a Harvest Moon
Monotone
Two
On the Breakwater
I sang—only the 1st two lines are needed, just great!
Bones
Margaret
SHADOWS
It is much
Harrison Street Court—I live on Harrison street, and I feel it.
Gone—Chick Lorimer, what a gal.
OTHER DAYS
Waiting
Dream Girl—very corny, but nicely put
Old Woman
Under a telephone pole
Languages
The Junkman
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