Clinton South of Polk — Summary

Carl Sandburg describes a walk down a Chicago street where he stops to listen to Italian children quarreling. At first that might sound like noise, but he hears it differently. Their angry voices rush together like a waterfall of operatic singing—a cataract of coloratura—with all the drama and musical rise and fall of an aria. The speaker is not annoyed or disturbed. In fact, he says he could fall asleep to their musical threats and accusations. There is warmth and amusement in that. The mood is lively but strangely peaceful: a busy immigrant neighborhood becomes a kind of outdoor theater, and childhood conflict becomes something almost beautiful. Sandburg turns an ordinary moment into a small celebration of sound and human energy.