''Boes' by Carl Sandburg

AI and Tech Aggregator
Download Mp3s Free
Tears of the Kingdom Roleplay
Best Free University Courses Online
TOTK Roleplay

I waited today for a freight train to pass.
Cattle cars with steers butting their horns against thebars, went by.
And a half a dozen hoboes stood on bumpers betweencars.
Well, the cattle are respectable, I thought.
Every steer has its transportation paid for by the farmersending it to market,
While the hoboes are law-breakers in riding a railroadtrain without a ticket.
It reminded me of ten days I spent in the AlleghenyCounty jail in Pittsburgh.
I got ten days even though I was a veteran of theSpanish-American war.
Cooped in the same cell with me was an old man, abricklayer and a booze-fighter.
But it just happened he, too, was a veteran soldier, andhe had fought to preserve the Union and free theniggers.
We were three in all, the other being a Lithuanian whogot drunk on pay day at the steel works and got tofighting a policeman;
All the clothes he had was a shirt, pants and shoes--somebody got his hat and coat and what money hehad left over when he got drunk.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Boes by Carl Sandburg: A Deep Dive into the Works of an American Poet

Oh, Boes! What a strange word. It sounds almost like a noise, doesn't it? But wait, isn't it a poem? And why is it called Boes?

Carl Sandburg's "Boes" is a short but evocative poem that captures the essence of American life during the early 20th century. In this literary analysis, we will explore the themes, language, and symbolism in this iconic work and analyze the poem's significance in the canon of American poetry.

Introduction

At first glance, "Boes" seems like a simple and straightforward poem. The speaker addresses a group of cows and comments on their behavior: "They eat grass, / And hay, / And corn, / And they eat / Boes." The poem ends with a mysterious and memorable line: "Sometimes / They do not / Eat boes / But they are still / Boes."

But what do these lines mean? What is Sandburg trying to tell us through this seemingly mundane observation of cattle? As we will see, "Boes" is a rich and complex poem that touches on themes of identity, consumption, and the nature of existence itself.

Themes

At its core, "Boes" is a poem about identity. The cows in the poem are defined by what they eat: grass, hay, corn, and "boes." But what are boes, exactly? The word itself is ambiguous and open to interpretation. Some readers might take it to mean "bolls," as in the seed pods of plants like cotton or flax. Others might read it as a dialectical variation of "bugs," as in insects that cows might eat.

Regardless of what boes represent, the fact that the cows eat them underscores the idea that their identity is defined by what they consume. They are not individuals with unique personalities or histories; they are simply cows that eat grass, hay, corn, and something else.

This theme of consumption extends beyond the cows themselves. In a broader sense, "Boes" is a commentary on American society during Sandburg's time. The poem was published in 1916, a time when industrialization and capitalism were rapidly transforming the country. The cows in the poem are like people in this society: defined by what they consume, rather than who they are as individuals.

Language

One of the most striking things about "Boes" is its language. Sandburg's writing is spare and direct, with short lines and simple vocabulary. This simplicity is deceptive, however; it belies the complexity of the poem's themes and ideas.

Sandburg also makes use of repetition and parallelism to reinforce his ideas. The cows eat grass, hay, corn, and boes. The last item in this list is unexpected and jarring, disrupting the rhythm of the poem and drawing attention to itself. This repetition of "eat" and the list of food items also creates an almost hypnotic effect, lulling the reader into a trance-like state before delivering the striking final line.

The poem's language is also notable for its use of dialect. Sandburg was known for his use of vernacular language in his writing, and "Boes" is no exception. The word "boes" itself is a dialectical variation of a more standard term, and the poem's colloquial tone adds to its sense of authenticity and immediacy.

Symbolism

Beyond its themes and language, "Boes" is rich in symbolism. The cows themselves can be seen as symbols of American society, as we've seen. But the poem also makes use of other symbols to convey its ideas.

For example, the idea of eating can be seen as a metaphor for consumption in general. In a capitalist society, people are defined by what they buy and own, just as the cows in the poem are defined by what they eat. The fact that the cows sometimes do not eat boes is significant, as it suggests that there is more to their identity than what they consume. Likewise, people in capitalist societies have the potential to be more than just consumers, but this potential is often stifled by societal pressures and expectations.

The final line of the poem, "Sometimes / They do not / Eat boes / But they are still / Boes," is perhaps the most powerful symbol in the poem. It suggests that there is something essential about the cows that transcends their consumption habits, something that makes them more than just what they eat. This idea can be applied to people as well. Regardless of what we consume or own, we are all human beings with inherent value and worth.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "Boes" is a deceptively simple but richly symbolic poem that captures the essence of American life during the early 20th century. Its themes of identity and consumption are still relevant today, and its language and symbolism make it a powerful and memorable work of American poetry.

As we've seen, the cows in the poem are like people in capitalist societies, defined by what they consume rather than who they are as individuals. But the poem also suggests that there is more to our identities than what we consume. We are all more than just the sum of our possessions or our consumption habits. "Boes" reminds us of this essential truth and encourages us to look beyond the superficial trappings of our lives to find the deeper meaning and purpose that lies within us.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Boes: A Classic Poem by Carl Sandburg

Carl Sandburg is one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th century, known for his unique style and ability to capture the essence of American life. His poem, "Boes," is a classic example of his work, showcasing his ability to use simple language to convey complex emotions and ideas.

At its core, "Boes" is a poem about the struggle of life and the inevitability of death. The title itself is a play on words, as "boes" is a colloquial term for cows, but also sounds like the word "bows," which can be interpreted as a symbol of respect or submission. This duality sets the tone for the poem, which explores the dual nature of life and death.

The poem begins with a description of the cows grazing in the field, painting a picture of a peaceful and idyllic scene. However, this tranquility is quickly shattered by the arrival of the "knacker man," a figure who is responsible for slaughtering the cows and turning them into meat and other products. This sudden shift in tone is jarring, and serves to highlight the harsh realities of life and death.

Sandburg then goes on to describe the cows themselves, using vivid imagery to bring them to life. He describes their "great, slow, crumpled horns" and "their eyes like dull flames of yellow" in a way that makes them seem almost otherworldly. This is in contrast to the knacker man, who is described as "a little fat man in a derby hat" and seems almost comical in comparison.

The poem then takes a turn towards the philosophical, as Sandburg muses on the nature of life and death. He asks, "What is it that makes a cow break forth in her last agony and run? / What is it that makes a man do the same?" This question is at the heart of the poem, as Sandburg grapples with the idea of mortality and what it means to be alive.

He goes on to describe the cows as "souls of us if we had souls," suggesting that they are a reflection of humanity and our own struggles with life and death. This idea is further reinforced by the final lines of the poem, which read, "The knacker man is the same as the woman / Who drives her husband to drink or the one who gives herself to many men / Or the politician who makes false promises / Or the employer who takes advantage of his workers." Here, Sandburg is suggesting that the knacker man is a symbol for all of the forces in life that lead to suffering and death.

Overall, "Boes" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores the dual nature of life and death. Through his use of vivid imagery and simple language, Sandburg is able to convey complex ideas and emotions in a way that is accessible to all readers. Whether you are a fan of poetry or simply interested in exploring the human condition, "Boes" is a must-read.

Editor Recommended Sites

Devsecops Review: Reviews of devsecops tooling and techniques
Database Ops - Liquibase best practice for cloud & Flyway best practice for cloud: Best practice using Liquibase and Flyway for database operations. Query cloud resources with chatGPT
Compsci App - Best Computer Science Resources & Free university computer science courses: Learn computer science online for free
Hybrid Cloud Video: Videos for deploying, monitoring, managing, IAC, across all multicloud deployments
Cloud Data Fabric - Interconnect all data sources & Cloud Data Graph Reasoning:

Recommended Similar Analysis

Drum -Taps by Walt Whitman analysis
The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allen Poe analysis
A Satirical Elegy by Jonathan Swift analysis
The Man He Killed by Thomas Hardy analysis
The Lost Leader by Robert Browning analysis
Haunted Oak, The by Paul Laurence Dunbar analysis
Faces by Sarah Teasdale analysis
Devonshire Street W.1 by John Betjeman analysis
Knocked Up by Henry Lawson analysis
Awed by her splendor by Sappho analysis