'Ready To Kill' by Carl Sandburg


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Ten minutes now I have been looking at this.
I have gone by here before and wondered about it.
This is a bronze memorial of a famous general
Riding horseback with a flag and a sword and a revolver
on him.
I want to smash the whole thing into a pile of junk to be
hauled away to the scrap yard.
I put it straight to you,
After the farmer, the miner, the shop man, the factory
hand, the fireman and the teamster,
Have all been remembered with bronze memorials,
Shaping them on the job of getting all of us
Something to eat and something to wear,
When they stack a few silhouettes
Against the sky
Here in the park,
And show the real huskies that are doing the work of
the world, and feeding people instead of butchering them,
Then maybe I will stand here
And look easy at this general of the army holding a flag
in the air,
And riding like hell on horseback
Ready to kill anybody that gets in his way,
Ready to run the red blood and slush the bowels of men
all over the sweet new grass of the prairie.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Ready To Kill: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation

Are you ready to dive into the world of Carl Sandburg's poetic masterpiece, Ready to Kill? This classic poem is a powerful portrayal of the human experience, exploring themes of violence, conflict, and the brutalities of war. In this 4000-word literary criticism and interpretation, we will delve into the poem's meaning, structure, and language, unlocking its secrets and uncovering its hidden depths.

Background

Before we begin, let's take a moment to explore the context in which Ready to Kill was written. Carl Sandburg was a prolific American writer, best known for his poetry and biographies. Born in Illinois in 1878, Sandburg lived through some of the most tumultuous periods of American history, including the Great Depression and both World Wars. He was deeply invested in the politics of his time, and his poetry often reflected this.

Ready to Kill was published in 1916, during the lead-up to World War I. It is widely considered to be one of Sandburg's most powerful and affecting poems, and it has been studied and analyzed by literary scholars for decades. Let's take a closer look at its structure and language.

Structure

Ready to Kill is a relatively short poem, consisting of just six stanzas. Each stanza is composed of three lines, with the exception of the final stanza, which is only two lines long. The poem's brevity is part of its power; Sandburg packs a tremendous amount of meaning into just eighteen lines.

The poem is written in free verse, meaning that it does not conform to any strict meter or rhyme scheme. However, Sandburg's use of repetition and parallelism gives the poem a feeling of rhythm and structure. Each stanza follows the same basic pattern, with the first two lines describing a violent act and the third line offering a bleak commentary on the human condition.

Language

The language of Ready to Kill is stark and uncompromising. Sandburg's descriptions of violence are vivid and brutal, and his commentary on human nature is unflinching. The poem is full of powerful imagery that evokes the horrors of war and the depths of human depravity.

For example, in the first stanza, Sandburg writes:

Clean the crucible out, put new
Plug in the lead pouring mouth,
Polish the now-and-then silver crucifix.

This image of a crucible being cleaned out and refilled with molten lead is a powerful metaphor for the preparation for war. The lead pouring mouth is a symbol of the weapons of war, and the silver crucifix represents the religious justification for violence.

In the second stanza, Sandburg writes:

Make ready to kill your brothers.
Prepare to march against waking men.
Cast steel into their hearts.

Here, Sandburg is urging the reader to prepare for violence and conflict. The phrase "make ready to kill your brothers" is particularly striking; it suggests that the people we are fighting against are not strangers or enemies, but rather our own kin. The image of casting steel into someone's heart is a vivid and terrifying description of violence.

Throughout the poem, Sandburg uses repetition and parallelism to drive home his message. The phrase "make ready" appears in the second, fourth, and fifth stanzas, emphasizing the sense of preparation and anticipation that permeates the poem. The repetition of the phrase "cast steel" in the second and fifth stanzas reinforces the image of violence and death.

Interpretation

So, what is Sandburg trying to say with this powerful and disturbing poem? Let's explore some of the key themes and ideas that emerge from Ready to Kill.

Violence

The most obvious theme of Ready to Kill is violence. Sandburg uses stark and brutal imagery to evoke the horrors of war and the savage nature of human conflict. The repetition of the phrase "make ready" gives the poem a sense of anticipation, as if the violence is inevitable and cannot be avoided. Sandburg is highlighting the fact that we as humans are capable of terrible acts of violence, and that war brings out the worst in us.

Dehumanization

Another key theme of the poem is dehumanization. Sandburg's use of the phrase "make ready to kill your brothers" is particularly striking, as it suggests that in war, we see our fellow human beings as something less than human. The act of killing becomes easier when we view our enemies as less than ourselves. Sandburg is highlighting the fact that war dehumanizes us, turning us into savages who are capable of terrible acts of violence.

Religion

Religion is another theme that runs throughout the poem. The image of the silver crucifix in the first stanza suggests that violence is often justified or excused by religious beliefs. Sandburg is highlighting the fact that throughout history, religion has been used to justify acts of violence and war.

The Human Condition

Finally, Ready to Kill is a commentary on the human condition. Sandburg is highlighting the fact that violence and conflict are part of our nature as humans. He is suggesting that we are all capable of terrible acts of violence, and that war brings out the worst in us. The bleak commentary on the human condition in the final two lines of the poem is a stark reminder of the horrors of war and the darkness that lies within us all.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ready to Kill is a powerful and disturbing poem that explores themes of violence, dehumanization, religion, and the human condition. Sandburg's use of repetition and parallelism gives the poem a feeling of rhythm and structure, while his stark and uncompromising language evokes the horrors of war and the depths of human depravity.

While the poem was written in 1916, its message is still relevant today. As we continue to grapple with war, conflict, and violence, Sandburg's words serve as a stark reminder of the terrible toll that these things can take on us as human beings. Ready to Kill is a poem that forces us to confront the darkness within ourselves, and it is a testament to the power of poetry to move and inspire us.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Ready to Kill: A Poem of War and Its Consequences

Carl Sandburg's poem "Ready to Kill" is a powerful and haunting exploration of the psychological toll of war. Written in 1918, during the height of World War I, the poem captures the sense of desperation and brutality that characterized the conflict. Through vivid imagery and stark language, Sandburg portrays the dehumanizing effects of war on both soldiers and civilians, and raises important questions about the nature of violence and its impact on the human psyche.

The poem begins with a stark declaration: "TEN minutes now I have been looking at this." The speaker is staring at a photograph of a soldier, presumably a comrade, who has been killed in battle. The photograph is described in gruesome detail: "All the dead soldiers in this war / And I am looking at photographs of him now / Dead." The repetition of the word "dead" emphasizes the finality of the soldier's fate, and underscores the horror of war.

Sandburg then shifts his focus to the soldier himself, describing him as "a boy with blond hair and big hands." The use of the word "boy" is significant, as it highlights the youth and innocence of the soldier, and underscores the tragedy of his death. The description of his "big hands" also suggests his physical strength and vitality, which have been snuffed out by the violence of war.

The speaker then reflects on the soldier's state of mind before his death, imagining him "thinking of home / And the girl he kissed and the family he hugged." This brief glimpse into the soldier's inner life humanizes him, and makes his death all the more poignant. Sandburg suggests that even in the midst of war, soldiers are still capable of feeling love and longing, and that their deaths are a tragic loss to their families and communities.

The poem then takes a darker turn, as the speaker describes the soldier's transformation from a human being to a killing machine. He imagines the soldier "crawling on his belly / In the trenches / Looking like a lizard." The comparison to a lizard suggests the soldier's animalistic nature, and underscores the dehumanizing effects of war. The speaker then describes the soldier's weapon, a "bayonet / With a long gleaming blade," which he imagines the soldier using to "stab and stab and stab." The repetition of the word "stab" emphasizes the brutality of the act, and underscores the senseless violence of war.

Sandburg then shifts his focus to the broader impact of war on society, describing the destruction and chaos it leaves in its wake. He imagines "cities burning / And men and women dead / And children running, crying, lost." The juxtaposition of the innocent children with the violence and destruction around them underscores the senselessness of war, and raises important questions about its morality.

The poem ends with a haunting image of the soldier's ghost, "walking up and down / Looking for his head." The image is both eerie and tragic, suggesting that even in death, the soldier is unable to find peace. Sandburg suggests that the horrors of war are not limited to the battlefield, but continue to haunt soldiers and civilians long after the conflict has ended.

In conclusion, "Ready to Kill" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores the psychological toll of war. Through vivid imagery and stark language, Sandburg portrays the dehumanizing effects of violence, and raises important questions about its morality. The poem is a reminder that war is not just a political or military conflict, but a human tragedy that leaves lasting scars on individuals and communities.

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