Give me hunger, pain and want, Shut me out with shame and failure From your doors of gold and fame, Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger! But leave me a little love.
Carl SandburgRead
Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo. Shovel them under and let me work- I am the grass; I cover all. And pile them high at Gettysburg. And pile them high at Ypres and Verdun. Shovel them under and let me work. Two years, ten years,and passengers ask the conductor- What place is this? Where are we now? I am the grass. Let me work.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the inevitability of death and the role of nature in covering the scars of war.
In this poignant reflection, Carl Sandburg speaks to the immense loss of life in battles such as Austerlitz, Waterloo, Gettysburg, Ypres, and Verdun. He personifies grass as a metaphor for nature that, despite the destruction and death, continues to grow and cover the remnants of war, suggesting that time will heal and that life goes on, even as society grapples with the consequences of its actions. Sandburg highlights the idea that although people may forget the specific places of tragedy, nature endures, serving as a testament to resilience and the cycle of life.
Themes
DeathNatureWarResilienceLife
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used to inspire discussions about the impact of war on our landscape during a history lesson.
More from Carl Sandburg
All quotes →Nothing happens... but first a dream.
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Read the dictionary from A to Izzard today. Get a vocabulary. Brush up on your diction. See whether wisdom is just a lot of language.
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My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.
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There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.
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A liar goes in fine clothes, a liar goes in rags, a liar is a liar, clothes or no clothes.
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