Fog Audio

Sandberg’s poem "Fog" first appeared in his collection "Chicago Poems" in 1916, establishing his reputation as a poet. The poem was inspired by Sandberg witnessing fog in Chicago. Sandberg found a steady job as a journalist in Chicago after bouncing between cities and odd jobs. He met Harriet Monroe, who published many of his poems in her magazine Poetry. Sandberg lived in Chicago for 11 years before moving to Michigan. "Fog" is significant in its portrayal of beauty in industrialized America during the shift from agriculture to industry. It is considered a seminal work in the Chicago Renaissance. Listening task. Sandberg's fog first appeared in his 1916 collection Chicago Poems. It was this collection that established Sandberg's reputation as a poet. According to Norman Corwin, Sandberg wrote the poem after witnessing fog in Chicago. He was reportedly on his way to meet with a judge when he took a shortcut through Grant Park. He had a perfect view of the fog over Chicago Harbor and decided to write this haiku before his meeting. Chicago had become Sandberg's adopted home. After traveling between cities and bouncing from odd jobs, Sandberg finally found a steady job as a journalist in Chicago. Growing up in a very poor family, he dropped out of school at 13 to work and support his family. Although he briefly attended college and dabbled in poetry, he had never written professionally until he moved to Chicago. Chicago become a home for Sandberg. His life completely changed as attested to in several of his poems and the title of his first major poetry collection Chicago Poems published in 1916. In Chicago, Sandberg met Harriet Monroe who published many of his poems in her magazine Poetry, a magazine of verse. She encouraged him to continue writing memorable free verse poems like Fog. Sandberg lived in Chicago for 11 years before moving to Michigan. The city is unnamed in the poem. However, if Chicago is the setting of the poem, it is important of its historic meaning and the personal meaning in Sandberg's life. When Fog was written in the early 1900s, America was undergoing a massive shift from agriculture to industry. While many poets mourned the deterioration of natural beauty at the hands of industrialization, Sandberg attempted to find beauty in modern America. Much of his poetry examines the beauty in industry but also recognizes its harmful implications. Many scholars presume Fog was written while Sandberg was in Chicago. If that is the case, Sandberg's poem can be considered a seminal work in the Chicago Renaissance. With the advent of Monroe's poetry magazine, New York and other big literary cities no longer had a monopoly on publishing in the literary world. Chicago underwent a renaissance in the early 1900s, led in part by Sandberg and his contemporaries.