Carl Sandburg’s poem, Chicago, running twenty-three lines is a poem written in free verse without a set meter or rhyme scheme. However, many lines have a melodic flow that climbs and falls within a fast moving poem that delivers one word punches. The poetic structure of the poem consists of lists of adjectives that describe Chicago with vivid imagery. The words that Sandburg chooses lean towards being strong, exacting and gritty. The attitude of the speakers tone goes from being defensive to a fondness for the city. The poem, written in the first person addresses the reader directly, is about the streets of Chicago. He describes the city of Chicago as if it were a person and celebrates the city’s integrity and defends its’ transgressions. ¬¬ …show more content…
It also explains that Chicago was a vital hub for the Nation’s railroads in the earlier 20th century. Hog Butcher, as well as the other names for the city’s labor jobs are capitalized, as if to elevate working people in an unskilled position to a level a greater importance. The poem also describes the city with adjectives as in the following. “Stormy, husky, brawling, City of the Big Shoulders.” “City of Big Shoulders” is an excellent example of synecdoche, which uses a part to describe the whole. The speaker uses the shoulders to describe the whole city of Chicago. The personification of the city being like a tough broad shouldered person gives the reader a feeling that the city isn’t glorified for its beauty but instead for Chicago being a tough masculine