Carl Sandburg

• Carl Sandburg was born in January 6, 1878 and died in July 22, 1967.

• Born in Sandburg Illinois.• He left school at age 13 and worked driving a

milk truck, then became a brick layer and farm worker, then wrote for the Chicago Daily News, then started to write poetry, children books, biographies, novels, and film reviews.

Robert Frost

• Robert Frost was born in March 26, 1874 and died in January 29, 1963

• He was born in San Francisco, California.• He published his first poem in his schools

paper, Dartmouth College.

Birches

• Originally, this poem was called “Swinging Birches,”

• Inspired by his childhood experience with swinging on the birches, which was a popular game for children in the rural areas of New England during the time.

Birches

• As the boy climbs up the tree, he is climbing toward “heaven” and a place where his imagination can be free.

• The narrator explains that climbing a birch is an opportunity to “get away from earth awhile.”

Birches

• The Narrator’s desire to escape from the rational world is inconclusive.

• He wants to escape as a boy climbing toward heaven.

Time Period

• This poem was Written in the 1920s• The 1920s was a time of the excitement and

happiness in America• The 1920s was also a time of economic

Growth

Meaning

• Carl Sandburg’s poems were about industrial America and Celebrated the positive energy of the time.

• The poem Chicago may be highlighting some of the negative parts of the time period but at the same time it points out how exciting the time was and how the community was thriving.