Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) was an American poet, biographer, historian, and folklorist. Remembered best as America’s great “Poet of the People,” Sandburg wrote verse that reflected down-to-earth industrial America.
Born of Swedish descent in Galesburg, Illinois, Sandburg first tried various occupations and fought in the Spanish-American war. After studying (but not graduating) at Lombard College, he became a journalist for the Chicago Daily News.
Strongly influenced by Walt Whitman, Sandberg’s poetry reflected down-to-earth industrial America—it made an instant and favorable impression. His first volume of poetry was Chicago Poems (1916.) Other collections include Cornhuskers (1918,) Smoke and Steel (1920,) Good Morning, America (1928) and The People, Yes (1936.)
Sandburg also won Pulitzer Prizes for his Complete Poems (1950,) and for Abraham Lincoln: The War Years (1939,) part of his magnificent six-volume biography of Lincoln. Sandburg also published a collection of American folk songs and ballads in The American Songbag (1927.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Carl Sandburg
The republic is a dream.
Nothing happens unless first a dream.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Graduation, Dreams, Foresight, Forethought, Vision
I see America, not in the setting sun of a black night of despair ahead of us, I see America in the crimson light of a rising sun fresh from the burning, creative hand of God. I see great days ahead, great days possible to men and women of will and vision.
—Carl Sandburg
Arithmetic is where the answer is right and everything is nice and you can look out of the window and see the blue sky—or the answer is wrong and you have to start over and try again and see how it comes out this time.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Mathematics
A baby is God’s opinion that life should go on.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: One liners, God, Opinion, Babies
One of the greatest necessities in America is to discover creative solitude.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Creativity, Solitude
Who put up that cage? Who hung it up with bars, doors? Why do those on the inside want to get out? Why do those outside want to get in? What is this crying inside and out all the time? What is this endless, useless beating of baffled wings at these bars, doors, this cage?
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Faith
Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Living, Value of a Day, Time Management, Time
Hog butcher for the world,
Tool maker, stacker of wheat,
Player with railroads and the nation’s freight handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the big shoulders.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: City Life, Cities
Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by.
—Carl Sandburg
Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands and goes to work.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Language
The sea speaks a language polite people never repeat. It is a colossal scavenger slang and has no respect.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Language
Time is a sandpile we run our fingers in.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Time Management
Sometime they’ll give a war and nobody will come.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Peace
I never made a mistake in grammar but one in my life and as soon as I done it I seen it.
—Carl Sandburg
I won’t take my religion from any man who never works except with his mouth.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Religion
If I added to their pride of America, I am happy.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: America
I have written some poetry that I don’t understand myself.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Poets, Art, Poetry
A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Family
Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Life
Shakespeare, Leonardo Da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, and Lincoln never saw a movie, heard a radio, or looked at a TV. They had loneliness and knew what to do with it. They were not afraid of being lonely because they knew that was when the creative mood in them would mark.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Solitude
If she America forgets where she came from, if the people lose sight of what brought them along, if she listens to the deniers and mockers, then will begin the rot and dissolution.
—Carl Sandburg
Not often in the story of mankind does a man arrive on earth who is both steel and velvet, who is as hard as rock and soft as drifting fog, who holds in his heart and mind the paradox of terrible storm and peace unspeakable and perfect.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: America
Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo. Shovel them under and let me workI am the grass; I cover all. And pile them high at GettysburgAnd pile them high at Ypres and Verdun. Shovel them under and let me work. Two years, ten years, and passengers ask the conductor:What place is this?Where are we now?I am the grass. Let me work.
—Carl Sandburg
Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during a moment
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Poetry
Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it till the test comes. And those having it in one test never know for sure if they have it when the next test comes.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Now, Courage, Gift, Will, Bravery
Poetry is the journal of a sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the sky.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Poets, Poetry
Poetry is the achievement of the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Poetry, One liners, Poets
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: City Life, Cities
Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Poetry, Art, One liners, Poets
Here is the difference between Dante, Milton, and me. They wrote about hell and never saw the place. I wrote about Chicago after looking the town over for years and years.
—Carl Sandburg
Topics: Hell
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