Sandburg, Carl. Poems for the people - Book Review

Kliatt, May, 2002 by James Beschta

Ivan R. Dee. 183p. bibliog, index. c1999. 1-56663-403-2. $14.95. SA

If all you know of Carl Sandburg is "Hog Butcher for the World, / Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat," or perhaps "The fog comes / on little cat feet," you might well be typical but you also need to read this book. Sandburg, a populist poet who had "a wide audience among the masses for whom his poetry was deliberately written," is a conundrum in that he has never been as extensively read as one would suppose given his name recognition.

Poems for the People has "attempted ... to make a representative selection from the unpublished or uncollected manuscripts" and presents them with a concise, insightful and highly readable commentary and background. While neither the biographic nor the literary material is complete, the book's appeal lies in its brevity and accessibility. It presents glimpses of the many facets of Sandburg's work ranging from the rather prosaic directness of his protest poems to his less acknowledged imagist and nature poetry. From his widely known use of the vernacular, the dialect of the common man, to the poetic work so obviously influenced by his journalistic background, this volume is a sampler of Sandburg's genius.

Poems for the People provides an excellent overview of one of America's most widely recognized 20th century poets. It is a readable, informative and fascinating study. James Beschta, English Teacher, Quabbin Reg. H.S., Barre, MA