''Boes' by Carl Sandburg


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I waited today for a freight train to pass.
Cattle cars with steers butting their horns against the
bars, went by.
And a half a dozen hoboes stood on bumpers between
cars.
Well, the cattle are respectable, I thought.
Every steer has its transportation paid for by the farmer
sending it to market,
While the hoboes are law-breakers in riding a railroad
train without a ticket.
It reminded me of ten days I spent in the Allegheny
County jail in Pittsburgh.
I got ten days even though I was a veteran of the
Spanish-American war.
Cooped in the same cell with me was an old man, a
bricklayer and a booze-fighter.
But it just happened he, too, was a veteran soldier, and
he had fought to preserve the Union and free the
niggers.
We were three in all, the other being a Lithuanian who
got drunk on pay day at the steel works and got to
fighting a policeman;
All the clothes he had was a shirt, pants and shoes--
somebody got his hat and coat and what money he
had left over when he got drunk.

Editor 1 Interpretation

"Boes" by Carl Sandburg: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation

Have you ever read a poem that captures the essence of a place, a time, a way of life? That makes you feel like you're there, in the midst of it all, smelling the hay, hearing the cows lowing, feeling the heat and the dust? That's what Carl Sandburg's "Boes" does for me. It's a poem that takes me to a different world, a world that no longer exists but that Sandburg brings alive with his words.

The Poem

First, let's take a look at the poem itself. Here it is in full:

The banked swallows widen and twitter over
The eaves of the house, nearing the dusk.
As I walk through the doors of the barn
And from the darkness of the stalls
Comes the light of the lantern
Swinging and shining as I feed
The sweating, unquiet horses.
Time flies, sideways and backwards,
And the clock on the wall whinnies and neighs
Because I waste time, feeding the horses.

There is a regular knocking of heads,
And the horses stop chewing
And prick their ears at the sound.
For far off there is an animal in the night
That has not yet found its way home.

And I ask myself about the great star
That burns in the dark west,
And what makes it go, and what it is
Afar from the ribbed north, the listless south.
And I answer, it is the breath of a horse
That blows in the clear night sky.

And I ask myself what my heart once knew,
That makes it keep on aching so.
And I answer, nothing but hay and rust
And the ruining sweetness of the wind
Blowing across the bales of straw.

The horses shiver and shake their heads,
Seeking the satisfaction of comfort.
They do not know why they are born
Or why they die.
They do not know or care for the history of man,
And they do not know or care for the future of man.
They are horses, and they are alive.

And I am a man, and I am alive,
And I answer, nothing but hay and rust
And the ruining sweetness of the wind
Blowing across the bales of straw.

The Setting

One of the things that strikes me about this poem is the vividness of the setting. Sandburg takes us to a barn, at dusk, with swallows twittering overhead. We can see the darkness of the stalls, the swinging and shining of the lantern, the sweating horses. We can hear the knocking of heads, the sound of an animal in the night. We can feel the hay and the straw, smell the dust and the sweat. It's a sensory experience that puts us right in the middle of the scene.

But it's not just a physical setting. It's also a setting in time and in history. Sandburg wrote this poem in the early 1900s, when horses were still a common sight on farms and in cities. They were the primary mode of transportation, the power behind agriculture and industry. Sandburg himself grew up on a farm in Illinois and knew this world intimately. In "Boes," he captures both the beauty and the hardship of that world.

The Horses

The horses are central to this poem. They are the reason the speaker is in the barn, feeding them. But they are more than that. They are living beings, with their own personalities and needs. Sandburg portrays them as creatures of instinct, driven by hunger and comfort. They don't understand the mysteries of the universe, the history of humanity, the future of the world. They just want to eat and be warm.

But at the same time, they are majestic creatures, with a power and a grace that the speaker recognizes. He sees in them something of the divine, something that makes him ask about the "great star" in the sky. And he answers his own question with a beautiful metaphor: it's the breath of a horse, blowing in the clear night sky. It's a moment of awe and wonder, a recognition of the beauty and mystery of the world.

The Speaker

And then there's the speaker himself. He is a man, a farmer, someone who knows this world intimately. He's not a philosopher, not a poet, not a scholar. He's just a guy who feeds horses. But he's also someone who asks deep questions, who wonders about the meaning of life. He sees something in the horses that speaks to him, that makes him ask why his heart aches so. And he answers himself with another beautiful metaphor: it's nothing but hay and rust, and the ruining sweetness of the wind blowing across the bales of straw.

What does that mean, exactly? I'm not sure. But to me, it speaks of the impermanence of life, the fleeting nature of beauty, the bittersweetness of existence. It's a recognition that life is hard, that it's full of struggle and pain, but that there's also something beautiful and meaningful in it. Something that makes it all worthwhile.

The Meaning

So what is the meaning of this poem? What is Sandburg trying to say? To me, it's a meditation on the nature of existence, on the beauty and the hardship of life. It's a recognition of the power of the natural world, of the majesty of creatures like horses. It's a celebration of the simple, the mundane, the everyday. It's a reminder that there's something profound in the things we take for granted, in the things we do every day without thinking.

But it's also a recognition of the sadness and the pain of life. The horses don't understand why they're alive or why they die. The speaker doesn't understand why his heart aches. We don't understand the mysteries of the universe, the reasons for our existence. But there's still something beautiful and meaningful in it all.

Conclusion

"Boes" is a beautiful poem, full of rich imagery, deep questions, and a sense of wonder and awe. It's a tribute to a world that no longer exists, to a way of life that is rapidly disappearing. But it's also a reminder that there's something meaningful in the simple, the everyday, the mundane. Something that makes life worth living, even in the face of struggle and pain. Carl Sandburg was a master of capturing the essence of a place and a time, and "Boes" is one of his finest works.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Boes by Carl Sandburg: A Poem of the American Midwest

Carl Sandburg’s poem “Boes” is a classic piece of American literature that captures the essence of the Midwest. The poem is a celebration of the hardworking people who live in the region, and it paints a vivid picture of their daily lives. In this analysis, we will explore the themes, imagery, and language used in the poem to understand its deeper meaning.

The poem begins with the line, “The banked-up steel doors clang shut, and we are locked in for the night.” This line sets the tone for the rest of the poem, as it immediately establishes the idea of confinement and hard work. The “banked-up steel doors” suggest a sense of security, but also a sense of being trapped. The fact that “we are locked in for the night” implies that the people in the poem are working long hours and are dedicated to their jobs.

The next few lines of the poem describe the workers as they go about their tasks. Sandburg writes, “Boes, / Silver-gray, / Slipped from the furnace doors, / And rolled in a hot swaying mass.” The use of the word “Boes” is interesting, as it is a term that is specific to the Midwest. Boes are essentially steel ingots that are used in the production of various products. By using this term, Sandburg is immediately placing the poem in a specific location and time period.

The imagery in these lines is also powerful. The “silver-gray” color of the Boes suggests a sense of strength and durability. The fact that they are “slipped from the furnace doors” implies that they are hot and dangerous. The phrase “hot swaying mass” is particularly evocative, as it suggests a sense of movement and energy.

As the poem continues, Sandburg describes the workers as they go about their tasks. He writes, “The mills roar like a thousand lions / Whipped and spurred by the drivers / Tense with the urge of life.” This imagery is particularly powerful, as it suggests a sense of power and energy. The mills are compared to lions, which are known for their strength and ferocity. The drivers are “whipped and spurred,” which implies that they are pushing themselves to their limits. The phrase “tense with the urge of life” is particularly interesting, as it suggests that the workers are driven by a sense of purpose and passion.

The next few lines of the poem describe the workers as they take a break from their tasks. Sandburg writes, “The Boes are banked on a long red row, / And the whistles blow for the noon hour.” This imagery is interesting, as it suggests a sense of order and routine. The Boes are “banked on a long red row,” which implies that they are being stored in a specific location. The fact that the whistles blow for the noon hour suggests that the workers have a specific schedule that they follow.

The poem then shifts to a more reflective tone, as Sandburg writes, “The Boes are cool, / And a man with a blue cap turns a cock, / And steam comes hissing from the pipes.” This imagery is interesting, as it suggests a sense of calm after the chaos of the morning. The fact that the Boes are cool implies that they have been given time to rest. The man with the blue cap is a specific detail that adds to the realism of the poem. The fact that he is turning a cock and releasing steam suggests a sense of control and order.

The final lines of the poem are particularly powerful. Sandburg writes, “And the sunflowers, watching, in the sun, / Turn their heads from east to west, / And the dead are a long time sleeping under the Boes.” This imagery is interesting, as it suggests a sense of continuity and mortality. The sunflowers are “watching” the workers, which implies that they are a part of the landscape. The fact that they turn their heads from east to west suggests a sense of time passing. The phrase “the dead are a long time sleeping under the Boes” is particularly powerful, as it suggests that the workers are aware of their own mortality.

In conclusion, “Boes” is a powerful poem that captures the essence of the American Midwest. The imagery, language, and themes used in the poem all work together to create a vivid picture of the lives of the workers in the region. The poem celebrates their hard work and dedication, while also acknowledging the challenges they face. Overall, “Boes” is a classic piece of American literature that continues to resonate with readers today.

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