I+am+the+People,+the+Mob

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The "people" have always had their disagreements. There will never be equality on Earth, yet in almost every time period it is seen as a crazy, revolutionary thing to write about how unfair the world is. Equality, in Carl Sandburg's eyes, is like the best thing since sliced bread. Carl Sandburg is one of those revolutionary writers who thought he was going to make a difference. Modernism was the period in which he wrote, and his works definitely showed characteristics of the period. He loved to write about the inequality that capitalism brought along. His life directly influenced how he thought and wrote. All of his works are extremely similar. They all portray the fact that he was unhappy about inequality. Inequality will continue to be an issue, but acknowledging Sandburg revolutionized literature while trying to change the ways of the world is the least one can do.

"I Am The People, The Mob" is a perfect example of Modernism. During this literature period, most people had lost faith in their government ("Beginnings of the Modern Age"). World War I was raging or had ceased to rage. Millions of people died. It is not hard to understand why one would possibly be a little upset at their government for having a hand in so much death. In the poem, Sandburg states that society as a whole, "the mass", is what matters. The little people are the ones who matter. They are the ones who work, invent, make food and clothes, witness history, and give birth to leaders (Sandburg). The government may be the bigger guy, but in the end, the people that make up the masses that the government controls are what matter. Without them, there would not even be a government because there would be no one to whip. Individuality was also a common theme in Modernism styled literature (Worthington). This is shown in "I Am The People, The Mob" by putting a focus on the self. "I" am the people. "I" am the one who works to make sure you have your goodies and num-nums. "I" am important, and no one should forget that.

The poem is almost a rant by Sandburg. It directly relates to his life and feelings about his experiences in life. He dropped out of school after his eight grade graduation and moved frequently (Barr). Eventually, he became homeless (Barr). This might have been a blessing in disguise because it led him to become familiar with many folk songs, which shaped his views on society (Barr). As a hobo, he could clearly see the differences between the rich and the poor. Getting the short end of the stick made him distrust the work of capitalism (Barr). After serving in the military for a short time, he attended a college (Barr). He was encouraged by a professor in the Poor Writers' club at his college (Barr). He later became a journalist, often writing about the plights of working Americans (Barr). In "I Am The People, The Mob", Sandburg's vindication of the working man clearly shows. The entire poem is about how they are important and deserve more than they are getting. The poem reeks of anger. "Sometimes I growl, shake myself and spatter a few red drops for history to remember. Then--I forget. When I, the People, learn to remember, when I, the People, use the lessons of yesterday and no longer forget who robbed me last year, who played me for a fool--then there will be no speaker in all the world say the name: "The People," with any fleck of a sneer in his voice or any far-off smile of derision." (Sandburg). The "man", or society and government, keep screwing the workers over, and Sandburg is sick of it.

A majority of Sandburg's works are about the exact same subject. Inequality is unfair. In his poem "Masses", he describes the ruins of nations, the working man, the soldier, and the poor mother with her baby. These are not very happy subjects. Complete sentences is a thing of the past. . . or the future depending on how one looks at it. One thing is for sure, Sandburg is not a fan of being grammatically correct. Maybe this is an effect of his eight grade education. He is, though, a fan of the dashes and commas. There is much contrast between him, Bernard Malamud, and William Carlos Williams. Williams uses no punctuation at all, and Malamud is on the exact opposite end of the spectrum by using full sentences in his short story "The Magic Barrel."

Carl Sandburg does not deviate much from his general style. He believes the working man is being put down too much. He shares these opinions by writing poetry. Because he was alive and writing poetry during the Modernism literature period, his poems tend to share many of the characteristics other poems from this time period have. His ideas directly relate to his life and opinions. The same ideas and styles of writing pop up in most of his poems. "I Am The People, The Mob" shows that strength truly may lie in numbers like the saying goes.

Barr, Andyy. "Carl Sandburg Biography." //Carl Sandburg - Chicago Poems - Carl Sandburg Biography//. Andyy Barr Productions, 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 02 May 2010. .

"Beginnings of the Modern Age." //Glencoe American Literature//. Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, PhD. American Literature ed. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw, 2009. 650-691. Print. Glencoe Literature.

Sandburg, Carl. "Carl Sandburg Poems - I Am The People The Mob." //Carl Sandburg - Chicago Poems - Carl Sandburg Biography//. 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 02 May 2010. .

Worthington, Leslie. "Characteristics of Modernism." //SOCRATES//. Troy University, 8 May 2007. Web. 02 May 2010. .

hannah's comment-liked the analogy about sliced bread! very strong introduction. good comparison about his life and his poem.