Sandburg speaks directly to undertakers, hearse drivers, and grave diggers, telling them he is not afraid of what they do. Their work is handling bodies—"dust going to a long country"—and the essential task stays the same whether a coffin is lowered by modern machinery or placed in the earth by hand and covered with shovels. The speaker feels a plain, unflinching respect for this labor, recognizing that death is ordinary and unavoidable. Even though these workers can laugh on many days, they earn their living from people saying goodbye in weak, whispered voices. The mood is quiet and unsentimental, accepting rather than horrified. It honors people who do a necessary job at the edge of life without pretending death is noble or romantic.
To Certain Journeymen — Summary
Undertakers, hearse drivers, grave diggers, I speak to you as one not afraid of your business. You handle dust going to a long country, You know the secret behind your job is the same whether you lower the coffin with modern, automatic machinery, well-oiled and noiseless, or whether the body is laid in by naked hands and then covered by the shovels. Your day's work is done with laughter many days of the year, And you earn a living by those who say good-by today in thin whispers.