B.Com 2nd Year CHICAGO Lecture - 2(a)

II. Chicago

Carl Sandburg

‘Chicago’ is a beautiful poem by Carl Sandburg. It gives graphic of the city of Chicago. Chicago is situated on lake Michigan in mid-west (U.S.A). It is one of the World’s richest commercial and industrial cities. It manufactures steel, tools and food products. It is also an important railway junction.
It brings out both positive and negative aspects of industrialism and commercialism. No doubt, industrialization brings prosperity of the people. It creates wealth, more jobs and better facilities for the people. But industrialization is not an absolute blessing. It creates the problem of pollution, corruption and crime. People become brutal and heartless. Want, hunger and starvation go along with prosperity and wealth. But, in spite of these unwholesome qualities of Chicago, the poet admires it for its toughness and dynamism.

Short questions

Ques 1)

How does the poet described about the people of Chicago ?

OR

Why does the poet call the people ‘City of big Shoulders’ ?

Answer :  

Chicago is an important commercial city of U.S.A . The poet describes the city by listing its important activities and its people.According the poet, the people of Chicago especially its young-man are healthy, strong and hard working. They have big shoulders. They are full of vigour and vitality. They abuse at one another while during their work. They quarrel among themselves. They work bare headed and sweat a lot while working in the heat of the Sun. They are always busy in doing one jobber another. They go on planning, building, breaking and then building again. While working in the dust and smoke, they keep on smiling. In short, the poet admires them for their hard working.

                  

    Vigour - शक्ति , जोश

             Vitality  - the state of being

                               strong and active;

             energy

Ques 2

   Explanation with Reference to Context of Important Line. People call the city 

     ‘Wicked’ ‘Crooked’ and ‘Brutal’.

Answer :

Context -:

This line has been taken from the poem ‘CHICAGO’ composed/written by Carl Sandburg. In this poem, the poet has given a graphic picture of Chicago which is an important industrial and commercial city of America. He points a vivid picture of its Commercial activities as well as its bad qualities. Here the poet talks about the people as well as his own opinion about Chicago.

Explanation -:

People call Chicago ‘Wicked’ ‘ Crooked’ and ‘Brutal’ . The poet is agreed with them. The reason is that he himself has seen Prostitutes or Call-girls trying to attract young boys. He agrees with those too who call the city Crooked because he himself has seen the professional killers moving about freely and killing people here and there . Not only they kill people but also escape from punishment . Some people say that the city is cruel and the poet is also agreed with them. He has seen the sign of extreme poverty and hunger on the faces of women and children.

Wicked शैतान

Brutal क्रूर

Crooked कुटिल

Video Lecture :- 2(a)