Maxwell Sinberg

Curmano
Honors p6
4 February 2015
Poetry Essay
A Paved Pathway to Poetry
Carl Sandburg grew up with a strong knowledge of the political and social world
around him. As he aged near and in poverty as a hobo he got an up close look at the
less fortunate lifestyle, as well as becoming familiar with the more wealthy side of
society as an older writer and poet. In his poems one can see a more simplistic and glum
tone, attributed to the hardships in history that he lived through such as World War II, the
Great Depression, and World War I. It is no surprise that many of his poems are about
difficult times, such as At A Window which uses a pleading and hopeful tone,and the
poetic devices metaphor, contrast and refrain to show that love makes enduring the very
worst worth it.
Strong metaphors, delicate contrast and carefully used refrain show that any
obstacle or hardship can be persisted through with the hope of love. Sandburg writes,
Let me go to the window, watch there the day-shapes of dusk (16-17). The window
referred to is a metaphor for looking into the future. Sandburg wishes to see what may lie
ahead and if there is love for him in his coming fate. By including deep metaphors
Sandburg makes the poem more powerful and intense due to the new levels of meaning.
Another way that strong meaning is shown is through multiple contrasting words such as:
loneliness, love, shabbiest, gold, weariest, fortune, shadow, and sunset (6,7,8,11,13,15).

Two opposites are compared and they amplify each other beautifully giving each a more
capturing grasp, leaving the reader further indulged in the poem, which in turn gives the
poems theme a stronger meaning. When Sandburg uses refrain and writes a little love
he shows the importance of the line (8,19). The only repeated line throughout the poem is
hugely significant because it gives away the true theme, with just a little love.
At a Window portrays a pleading and hopeful tone. This impression is first
given when Sandburg writes Give me hunger, O you gods that sit and give (1-2). This
request is almost longing in a spiteful way, giving the impression that hunger and
hardship would not matter because in the end love makes it worth the while. However the
poem shifts slightly to a more positive tone later on, like when Sandburg writes, And
wait and know the coming Of a little love (18-19). This gives a more positive note to the
worthwhile of love, rather than expressing more of how much enduring it takes. Finally,
we see a combination of the pleading and the hopefulness expressed in the poem in the
statement, But leave me a little love, A voice to speak to me in the day end, A hand to
touch me in the dark room (8-10). By setting such intimate scenes like the day end or the
dark room the tone is exaggerated. It also becomes more relatable and personal by
involving multiple senses, like touch or sight. The consistent hope and want expressed
by the speaker of the poem shows that even though the worst of times and the hardest
situations, we can all still look and hope for love.
The hard times that Carl Sandburg lived through paved the way for his poetic
future. In his poem At A Window he uses metaphor, refrain, and contrast along with a
hopeful and pleading tone to express that no matter what you may go through, there will
always be love thats worth it.

Work Cited
"Carl Sandburg Biography." Carl Sandburg Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb.
2015.

<http://carl-sandburg.com/biography.htm>.