HAPPINESS – CARL SANDBURG SUMMARY – INTER FIRST YEAR

1. HAPPINESS – CARL SANDBURG

SUMMARY – INTER FIRST YEAR

HAPPINESS – CARL SANDBURG

SUMMARY

Introduction : The poem Happiness is written by “Carl Sandburg” who is an American poet, writer, biographer and editor. This poem is an extract from his collection, Chicago Poems.  The poem is an expression of the narrator’s search for what happiness is and his ultimate realization. It is a simple poem with valuable message.

Context:  In the Poem ‘Happiness’,  the poet Carl Sandburg depicts his experience about happiness in life. The poet seeks to find the “meaning of happiness” from different people and different perspectives but finds the real meaning of happiness from a crowd of Hungarians with their women and children.

            Meaning: This poem is a light-hearted poem. It does not give single definition. This poem seems to be strange but has a great intellectual meaning in it. Happiness varies from person to person. “The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.”

 The poet begins the poem by asking the professor about the meaning of happiness who teaches the meaning of life to the people. The professor who represents the “intelligence and success” couldn’t answer the question. Then he asks the same question to “the famous executives” who boss the work of thousands men even he is unable to answer the question. Searching for the meaning of happiness the poet on one Sunday afternoon, wanders along the Desplaines River there he sees a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with their women and children and a keg of beer and an accordion (musical instrument).  Here he finds the real meaning of happiness from these common people. These people do not have money, intelligence or success but “they are the symbol of real meaning of happiness”.  They make the best movement by spending time with their family.

Critical Appreciation: The difference between upper and lower class people is given in this poem. Here the upper class people represent the professors and the executives who do not know the meaning of happiness and do not know to live in the moment. The lower class people represent the Hungarians who know to lead a happy life in the moment in accordance with nature. One should live in the present in order to enjoy the life. The Hungarians stand as a symbol of sharing and helping mentality people.

Conclusion: The poet concludes the poem in which the “happiness” is not about being rich or successful or having a good carrier but about having passion in life, feeling the moment and living in it through our soul. He also says that the materialistic things do not bring any happiness to the people.