Two distinct ways of writing poetry
Sandburg explains that poetry creation falls into two categories: either a hot first draft where not even a comma is altered, or a piece wrestled with and revised over many years.
Carl Sandburg
American
1878 – 1967
Carl August Sandburg was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime Sandburg was widely regarded as "a major figure in contemporary literature", especially for volumes of his collected verse, including Chicago Poems (1916), Cornhuskers (1918), and Smoke and Steel (1920). He enjoyed "unrivaled appeal as a poet in his day, perhaps because the breadth of his experiences connected him with so many strands of American life". When he died in 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson observed that "Carl Sandburg was more than the voice of America, more than the poet of its strength and genius. He was America."
On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed Abraham Lincoln.
1
Books ReviewedIn Carl Sandburg's own words
Carl Sandburg reflects on writing his multi-volume biography of Abraham Lincoln, including 'The Prairie Years.'
Uploaded by The Narrative Art, 2022 · Watch on YouTube ·
Creating the Western Hemisphere's longest biography
Sandburg notes that continuing the project into Lincoln's war years added 1.25 million words across four volumes, creating a six-volume set that forms the longest biography written in the Western Hemisphere.
Balancing democratic freedom with responsibility
Sandburg emphasizes that Lincoln recognized democracy demands an equal balance between freedom and responsibility, speaking and writing with extraordinary caution never to mislead.
Also in this interview
Ask LuvemBooks about Carl Sandburg
Carl Sandburg was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor, and we currently have 1 book reviewed on LuvemBooks. That review covers Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, his landmark biography tracing Lincoln from birth to his 1861 inauguration — a work often read as an American epic, though buyers should know the 183-page edition we reviewed is a condensation of the two-volume original. It holds a reader rating of 4.3/5 (Amazon aggregate, from 70 ratings).
- Where should I start?
- Start with Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years — it's the one Carl Sandburg book we've reviewed, and it holds a reader rating of 4.3/5 (Amazon aggregate, from 70 ratings). It traces Lincoln from birth to his 1861 inauguration and is often read as an American epic. Just note that the edition we reviewed is a 183-page condensation of the two-volume original, which is a key caveat for buyers.
- What's their writing style?
- Sandburg came to biography as a poet and journalist, and his Lincoln biography is often read as an American epic rather than a dry chronicle — The Prairie Years traces Lincoln from birth to his 1861 inauguration on that sweeping scale. On LuvemBooks we have 1 book reviewed, so that's the clearest window into his voice we can offer.
- Books we've reviewed
- We've reviewed 1 Carl Sandburg book so far. Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years (Biography & Memoir) traces Lincoln from birth to his 1861 inauguration — a landmark biography often read as an American epic — and holds a reader rating of 4.3/5 (Amazon aggregate, from 70 ratings). Be aware the reviewed 183-page edition is a condensation of the two-volume original.
- Why is Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years trending?
- Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years is currently the trending Carl Sandburg title on LuvemBooks — it's also the one book of his we've reviewed. Interest likely reflects the book's standing as a landmark Lincoln biography often read as an American epic, and it holds a reader rating of 4.3/5 (Amazon aggregate, from 70 ratings).
- What genre do they write?
- Sandburg's overall genre listing is broad — he worked as a poet, biographer, journalist, and editor, and his notable works include the children's classic Rootabaga Stories. In our reviewed coverage, the single title we've covered, Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, falls under Biography & Memoir.
Who is Carl Sandburg?
Where should I start?
What's their writing style?
Books we've reviewed
Why is Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years trending?
What genre do they write?
Who is Carl Sandburg?
Carl August Sandburg was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He is known for his landmark Abraham Lincoln biography — we've reviewed the Prairie Years volume, which follows Lincoln from birth to his 1861 inauguration — and for Rootabaga Stories, a children's classic.
Follow up
What is Rootabaga Stories?
Is Carl Sandburg better known as a poet or a biographer?
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