American Literature

In their poems Chicago and The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, Carl Sandburg and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow use combinations of poetic devices to paint a picture of their subjects. In the case of Sandburg, the city of Chicago becomes not simply a place on the map but almost human. The citys negative qualities are shown through similes and metaphors that show the raw energy of Chicago. In addition, Sandburg uses synecdoche to bring the city to life, not only in the image of the city as a man but also through addressing the poem to the city. Longfellows poem describes the ride of Paul Revere to alert his neighbors and fellow patriots of the British arrival. Using rhyme and rhythm as well as minor figures of speech, such as personification, he creates a kind of patriotic fable to describe this important event. In both cases, the poets are able to strengthen the purpose of their poem through the use of these devices.

Carl Sandburgs Chicago is full of strong images that aim to show the toughness and uncultured beauty of the city. Throughout the poem, Sandburg describes the city as Fierce as a dog (ll.12), cunning as a savage (ll.12), and Laughing even as an ignorant fighter (ll.20). Each of these figures of speech show represents the same qualities and show Chicago as a strong, violent, and stubborn city. Combined with the similes, the use of synecdoche helps to strengthen the image of the city as more than just a place to live. It has instead become a place that has been shaped by the painted women under the gas lamps (ll.6) or the gunman (ll.7). While each of these people are Chicagos people and called your painted women, the city itself is the truly living part of the poem to the point that it is the city, the idea of Chicago that Sandburg addresses and not the citizens. Using synecdoche, the city gains not only personality but it comes alive and coarse and strong and cunning (ll.10), flinging magnetic curses (ll.11). Through the use of these poetic devices, Sandburg shows his love for the city and its unique energy.

Longfellows poem The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere is not as full of figure of speech as Sandburgs but is rather a more straightforward telling of the mood of 1775 and the ride itself. Its through the use of rhyme and the steady rhythm of the poem, sounding almost like the beating of horse hooves that illustrates the importance of Reveres ride to Concord. The closed form of the poem sticks to a pattern of a, b, a (ll.6-8) with alternating rhymes of a, a, b, b, a (ll.1-5) or a, b, b, a. (ll.31-34). That Longfellow doesnt follow only one set rhyme scheme supports the idea that the beat of the poem should imitate the horse running down the coast. These rhymes provide not only the necessary rhythm to imply the sound of Revere riding to warn his fellow colonists but also help to push the story forward. With the opening lines of Listen my children and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere (ll.1-2) shows the intention of the poem as more than just a historical story. The poem becomes, instead, a real-life myth of American independence. Adding to this is the mood Longfellow creates through minor personification of such things as the somber rafters (ll.35) of the Old North Church that show the almost holy importance of Reveres ride to the fate of the colonies. Like Sandburg, he creates a distinct picture of the event that is more than a description and infuses the spirit of Reveres ride for freedom into the poem.