The poetry of Carl Sandburg was essentially written in the form of free verse. There was an element of coherence and clarity in his work that made it a microcosmic reflection of the American ethos. He emulated the works of Walt Whitman, and many considered him a reincarnation of the same. It was once said that it was Sandburg who truly, "put America on paper". He essentially wrote in the quotidian or everyday language.
Places
One of the seminal poems written by Carl Sandburg, this work essentially celebrates the symbol of the rose, much like he does in his other works. This symbol is undeniably "wedded" to the concept of love, and in this particular poem, it is coupled with gold to perhaps symbolize delicate but unconditional love. Perhaps the "flash of flying flags" reiterates this idea of the celebration of unconditional love. The poet persona talks about the fact that his/her lover's name lingers on the lips of everyone, trying to imply that the lover is an irresistible person. The poet that juxtaposes the image of gold with the idea of abject poverty when he says that he will go hungry in dreams and loneliness.
Fog
This poem is centered on the "fog", an entity that has been presented as a cat in this minimalistic work. The fog perhaps symbolizes a sly kind of energy, implying a feline beauty that is shy by cunning at the same time. The fog is likened to a cat perhaps because of the silence it exudes. It silently comes and goes.
