ANALYZING 20TH CENTURY POETRYAnalysis of Two Early 20th Century Poems influenced by

the events of the Day

“Fog” by Carl Sandberg (1916)

Analysis

The symbolism used in the poem “Fog” by Carl Sandburg lets the reader paint a picture in the mind’s eye of the movements of a cat. By the end of the piece, the reader “sees” the fog behaving like a cat. The silent predator sneaks in when least expected, and waits motionlessly for its prey. Fog comes slowly, creeping in and nestles between the hills and brush just as a cat crouches in the weeds, waiting patiently. In the end, the cat leaves quickly but silently. Much the same way fog blows off with the wind. Carl Sandburg, a Swedish immigrant’s child, grew up in a working class family near Chicago in the late 1800’s. A product of his environment, Sandburg’s prose style imparted more imagery and symbolism than high-end words. America was coming out of the slumber of the Victorian age into the fast paced industrial age of the 20th century. Inventions no longer included such mundane things as a cash register (1883) or an electrical generator (1844) or a typewriter (1868) or even the telephone (1876). The list of early 20th Century inventions is staggering and includes air conditioning, vacuum cleaner, EEG machine, radio broadcasting, electric washing machine, water cooler, paper cups, assembly line production, neon lamps, bras, zippers, and sonar. Henry Ford revolutionized mass production of automobiles in 1913, while doubling the wages for workers at his factories. Factories to produce new inventions sprang up everywhere. Word of American job opportunities spread quickly across the world and immigrant workers poured into America to find a better life. Sandburg revolutionized poetry inasmuch as he wrote for the simple, middle, working class audience. He experienced the hard life of empty jobs, long hours, and short pay just as many other struggling immigrants. Sandburg connected with the working class man of the early 20th Century which greatly influenced his writings. He utilized simplistic words set to a rhythm felt by many of his peers. In particular, Sandburg stood out as a painter of pictures with words. Sandburg’s popularity grew over the years, and two Pulitzer prizes later, it is obvious the early 20th Century working class also connected with Sandburg.

A FOGGY CAT

Do you see the cat?

“The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams (1923)

ANALYSIS

William Carlos Williams’ poem, “The Red Wheelbarrow” captures the essence of a scene of everyday life for the common man in the early 20th Century. Chinese pictorial rock carvings indicate they may have used wheelbarrows as early as 200 BC. Anyone who moves heavy loads, tends to gardens, or performs farm chores knows the importance of a wheelbarrow. Williams’ inspiration for this poem came from a scene he viewed in the yard of a Negro man living in his neighborhood. Williams could not but resist painting his own picture of the scene with his words in this poem. The simplistic symbolism presented in the William Carlos Williams’ poem “The Red Wheelbarrow” is representative of a new style of poetry, known as the imagist movement, popularized in the early 20th Century. Williams graduated from medical school and worked as a doctor for forty years even though his first love was writing. Over the years, his practice flourished and so did the popularity of his writing. The author rejected the strict European poetry format of four line stanza with rhyming meter. Just as Ezra Pound before him, Williams preferred to stir the emotions of the common man in a pictorial presentation constructed with few words. Williams inspired future poets both with his writings and with his personal guidance. People of the 20th Century widely accepted the doctor’s offerings, as they often reflected situations the common man could understand. Imagist’s works were fashioned after the simplistic form of the Japanese poetry known as haiku.

Early Use of the Wheelbarrow Depicted in China

Interestingly, one of the fist use s of the wheelbarrow in China was that of a mode of transportation for people!

Gratuitous Chicken Picture

Buc Buc Buc Buc Baa Gak!