Carl Sandburg
Early Life
Carl Sandburg was born on January 6, 1878, in a three-room cottage in Galesburg, a small city in the western part of the state. His parents, August and Clara Sandburg, were Swedish immigrants who had met in the United States. His father worked as a blacksmith's helper for the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad, a job that was both physically demanding and poorly paid.
Sandburg left school at the age of thirteen to help support his family. He held a variety of jobs, including milkman, bricklayer, and barbershop porter, before he began working on the railroad himself at the age of eighteen. Despite his lack of formal education, Sandburg was an avid reader and began writing poetry at a young age.
Career as a Writer
In 1904, Sandburg enrolled at Lombard, a small liberal arts college in Galesburg. There, he became the editor of the college newspaper and began to develop his distinctive style of free verse poetry. After leaving Lombard without a degree, Sandburg moved to Milwaukee, where he worked as a newspaper reporter and started a family with his wife, Lillian Steichen.
Sandburg's first major work, "Chicago Poems", was published in 1916. The collection, which included the famous poem "Chicago", was noted for its realistic portrayal of urban life and its use of colloquial language. Sandburg continued to write poetry throughout his life, and his work was recognized with three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and one for his biography of Lincoln.
Later Life and Legacy
In his later years, Sandburg became a popular figure in American culture. He was known for his folksy persona and his performances of American folk songs, which he collected and published in a series of books. Sandburg died on July 22, 1967, at his home in Flat Rock, North Carolina.
Carl Sandburg's legacy as a poet and biographer is significant. His work is noted for its accessibility and its portrayal of American life in the early 20th century. His biography of Abraham Lincoln remains a classic of the genre, and his poetry continues to be widely read and studied.