Carl Sandburg was best known as a poet, biographer, journalist, and platform artist (Crowder 21). Even though Sandburg is not a favorite of American poets, those who had read him know his dedication as a citizen and his sincerity for the ordinary man (Vinson 852). Sandburg was fascinated with American people and the way they spoke (Hacker 85). He was not highly regarded to critics but he continued to write what he felt. To better appreciate Carl Sandburg, one must understand the time in which he lived, his influences, his many works his unusual topics and style, his numerous awards, and his reputation as a poet.
The late 1800's and the early 1900's was a difficult time to live because of immigrants coming to America for a better way of life and also the Great Depression. Sandburg's parents came from Sweden to Galesburg, Illinois in 1871 and gave birth to their second child on January 6, 1878, Carl August (Crowder 21). Sandburg grew up speaking Swedish and English. Eager to be brought into American Society, he "Americanized" his name. Sandburg began to call himself Charles instead of Carl because he felt Carl would mean "one more Swede boy," while Charles filled the mouth and had them guessing (Niven). At thirteen years old, he decided to quit school and go to work (Byers 461). Later that year, he borrowed his father's railroad pass and had his first look at Chicago, a trip that would change his life (Niven). After returning from Chicago, Sandburg made a surprising decision to his sister Mary. "I"m going away," he stated. "I"m going to be a writer. And if I can't be a writer, I"ll be a hobo" (Hacker 34). So in 1897, Sandburg joined the corps of 60,00 hoboes who found the American railroads "an exhilarating if illicit free ride from one corner of the United States to another (Niven). His hobo days came to a quick end when he had been arrested for riding in a train without a ticket.
