American poet Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) may be most
remembered for his three Pulitzer Prizes and his Presidential biography, titled
Abraham Lincoln: The War Years.
His most famous poem was probably “Corn Huskers,” published
in 1919 and winning a Pulitzer in poetry. But here’s one of my personal
favorites, in which Sandburg set forth his own perception of what joy might
have looked like.
Joyby Carl SandburgLet a joy keep you.
Reach out your hands
And take it when it runs by,
As the Apache dancer
Clutches his woman.
I have seen them
Live long and laugh loud,
Sent on singing, singing,
Smashed to the heart
Under the ribs
With a terrible love.
Joy always,
Joy everywhere –Let joy kill you!
Keep away from the little deaths.
Last year’s A to Z
post: Job of
Justice
Related Items:
- Poets on Poetry - Carl Sandburg
- A Poet's Plea
- Poets on Poetry - Robert Browning
- Poetry as a Profession
- Poets on Poetry - Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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Apache Couple by F.A. Rinehart
1898
Public Domain/Wikipedia Commons Photos
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Favorite Classic Poems
Adapted from ClipArt
ETC
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Hi, I absolutely love the language of poetry. You can paint pictures with poetry that cannot be done with prose quite so easily. Carl Sandburg is one of my favorites, too. I love his "I Hear America Singing". Best wishes to you. Ruby
ReplyDeleteHow fantastic! I have visited Carl Sandburg's former home. It is lovely.... what impressed me the most were all his books!
ReplyDeleteHe also wrote a poem about the woman I featured in my Letter A entry: A is for Adelaide Crapsey. Don't you love these A to Z coincidences?
My A to Z subject is Women Writers in Literary History. I am a poet also, so I was delighted to find your A to Z topic is poetry. In fact, my I post, I is for Ina Coolbrith, who was the first Poet Laureate of the State of California.
Kindreds, unite!
Julie Jordan Scott
Fellow A to Z Challenge Writer
twitter: @juliejordanscot
I is for Ina Coolbrith
On a Mission to Spread Word-Love Throughout the World
That is a sweet J entry. I need to share it with my sister, Joy.
ReplyDeletePlay off the Page