Carl Sandberg Poem Analysis

In a Breath

Notice and Focus:
-Ocean theme
-repeat "sun"
-dramatic words like "flashing" and "drum"
-repeat "large", "cool", "sun-fire", and "flimsy"
-goes from playhouse to knife

So What:
In the poem the scene drastically changes from heat to water, which gives a sense of two different worlds. It also goes from a playhouse theme to a hunting theme, which are very different. The poet sets the scene at first by emphasizing the word "sun" by repeating it, and when he continues on he repeats words like "large" and "cool". The poet also emphasizes the women's "flimsy clothes" to contrast with the knife and the shark's "mouthful of teeth".The title of the poem, in a breath, is repeated in the poem. This shows how in a breath, so many different events and stories can be happening.

Bath

Notice and Focus:
-binary, "grinning skull and cross-bones"
-use "roses" twice, both in a different way
-uses the word "singing" to keep with music theme
-binary, "broke down and rebuilt"
-uses the word "hit" instead of touched to make it more dramatic
-fake vs. life
-repeats "something or other"

So What:
The theme changes quickly in the middle of this poem. It starts off depicting the world as something fake and cruel, using the "grinning skull and cross-bones". This makes it shown to be devoid of life, and putting on a front of fake happiness. The poet uses objects like dust and ashes to to show something that once had life, and lost it. This is also depicted in the shriveled "rose flesh of life".