A Poem About Guns by Carl Sandburg

by Robert Wilkinson

Carl Sandburg was one of America’s best known and beloved 20th century poets, and received three Pulitzer Prizes, two for poetry and one for his bio of Lincoln. Someone just found a previously unpublished poem called “Revolver.” Wow.

From McClatchy, a great article by Bridget Doyle about a great find! The title is “Volunteer finds unknown Carl Sandburg poem focusing on guns, violence," and we are told that “a retired volunteer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign made a timely find.”

From the article, ”Ernie Gullerud, a former professor of social work at the university, came upon a previously unpublished poem by Carl Sandburg titled "A Revolver," which addresses the issue of guns and violence.”

"I'm no judge of what makes a great poem, but this one said so much and so succinctly and to the point. I thought 'Golly, someone could have written this today,’ said Gullerud, 83. It's not clear when Sandburg typed the poem...”

So as we move and groove in this time of strange and strident disputes over whether massive killing machines should or should not be regulated in this corner of the Twilight Zone we call Urth, today we hear a distant voice from a past that is still too close for comfort. For your consideration, an echo of a memory from one of the Twilight Zone's timeless bards, “Revolver” by Carl Sandburg:

Here is a revolver.
It has an amazing language all its own.
It delivers unmistakable ultimatums.
It is the last word.
A simple, little human forefinger can tell a terrible story with it.
Hunger, fear, revenge, robbery hide behind it.
It is the claw of the jungle made quick and powerful.
It is the club of the savage turned to magnificent precision.
It is more rapid than any judge or court of law.
It is less subtle and treacherous than any one lawyer or ten.
When it has spoken, the case can not be appealed to the supreme court, nor any mandamus nor any injunction nor any stay of execution in and interfere with the original purpose.
And nothing in human philosophy persists more strangely than the old belief that God is always on the side of those who have the most revolvers.

Given the subject matter, I suspect Lincoln's assassination tremendously affected him. As I'm sure the assassination of John F. Kennedy did as well. As it did all of us who were alive at that time. And then Malcolm, then Martin, then Bobby, then John and then.....

We will eventually see the passing of this violent spell of destructive obsession, and enter an era when humanity will graduate into a realm of higher, more compassionate understanding. In that era we will all know, once and for all and for all time, that guns are a useless destructive machine that can only lead to heartbreak when used against human beings. There are other ways to solve the problem of the pandemic violence that plagues humanity than with guns, since violence can never end violence, any more than meanness can end meanness, hate can end hate, fear can end fear, insanity can end insanity, and separateness can end separateness.

“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein

© Copyright 2013 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Laura Duffy]

Beautiful, eloquent post - captures my feelings exactly. Thank you.

[Debbie]

It is not easy after generations apon generations of being taught this is the way to handle things and even today, our words are our modern day sword and just as destructive, to me. If those who feel the need to have weapons (including words)to defend themselves were to realise that they are then creating a world for everyone including themselves where there is a need to defend, thus creates the threat or attack as the mind will always be right...we see with our brains thus see what our brain knows unless we change what we choose to see...and see being safe as the key...at least that is how I see it and am experiencing the changes involved in having that new safe reality come into being, first it "appeared" to worsen, now I am beginning to see different, to be safe...

The problem with guns is their action from reaction is often to quick and final to assess the reality of the situation and the messenger is more often than not the casualty

[Nancy Robinson]

Have had one stuck to my temple, and that moment where the last word or language would be the deathly blow. A great descriptive poem, portraying the various ways of the Revolver. Thanks for sharing.

[Micheline]

Epic. Truly good stuff!!! I learn new stuff from you all the time For instance atleast 3/4's of the musicians you post about I had no idea they even existed! Yes I kniw it sounds strange but your posts are awesome!

[Greg Camp]

Violence can never end violence? Tell that to the victims of Nazi aggression during World War II. Allied violence brought that to an end.

But regarding this "discovery," go read Sandburg's known poems. His genuine work shows much greater skill than this piece. This new poem has vague language, clumsy wording, and lacks the small and specific details that are found in Sandburg's work.

When Gullerud says that "someone could have written this today," I take that as an admission. Someone did write this recently, someone who is a fan of Sandburg and agrees with his politics, but lacks his skill.

[Robert]

Hi Greg - Yes, even Gandhi admitted that the Poles were doing the right thing by shooting back, but only because they didn't want the aggression to begin with. But you will never be able to demonstrate that violence ends violence, since it perpetuates violence, and leads people to believe that violence has a place in a non-violent ideal.

I have read a countless number of his poems when younger, just as I did Frost, Whitman, and many others. Part of my generational education requirements in the 50s and 60s. In the absence of evidence, I take this as a genuine piece. The fact is, many poets go through various stages in how they write, and some topics provoke a different mindset and therefore expressed style. I wouldn't say it's not Sandburg. And it sure seems to mimic some of "Chicago."

That said, if you can prove this isn't Sandburg, check back in with evidence. Otherwise, it's Carl Sandburg.

[ramachandra desai]

lincon,gandhi,kennedy,martin luther,and so many.the revolver must be a thing of the past---r.g.desai