Question

1. what is carl sandburgs message in \they will say\? in other words, what theme statement could you write that explains what he wants readers to understand? provide at least three lines from the text that support your idea.

Explanation:

Analyze the poem's core message

Carl Sandburg's poem "They Will Say" criticizes the exploitation of working-class children in industrial cities, contrasting their natural, vibrant potential with the crushing reality of hard labor. The central theme is that industrialization and child labor strip children of their youth, vitality, and natural human development for commercial gain.

Select supporting textual evidence

Three key lines from the poem that directly support this theme of exploitation and lost childhood:

1. "Of the city of Chicago they say: Go and find the kids that can play." (Highlights the scarcity of play and natural childhood in the industrial city)
2. "Take them from the creative hills and the rills, and make them work." (Shows the forced transition from natural, creative environments to hard labor)
3. "They will say you took the wildness and the laughter of the children and gave them back a shadow-picture." (Directly states how labor destroys their vibrant spirit, leaving only a shadow of who they were)

Answer:

Theme Statement:
In "They Will Say," Carl Sandburg conveys that industrialization and child labor cruelly exploit the youth, stripping children of their natural joy, creativity, and vitality to serve economic interests, leaving them as mere shadows of their potential selves.

Supporting Evidence:

1. "Of the city of Chicago they say: Go and find the kids that can play."
2. "Take them from the creative hills and the rills, and make them work."
3. "They will say you took the wildness and the laughter of the children and gave them back a shadow-picture."