Carl Sandburg’s speaker talks directly to a red-headed restaurant cashier, telling her to shake back her hair, laugh freely, and take pride in the two freckles on her chin. He imagines that somewhere a man is searching for exactly that red-headed girl, and that one day he might look into her eyes while she is working and recognize a lover. The image of “ten thousand men” hunting for a red-headed girl with two freckles gives the poem a playful, almost fairy-tale feeling, but also a touch of loneliness—she is right there, yet unseen by all those searching. The repeated advice to “shake back your hair; let go your laughter” creates a warm, encouraging mood. It feels like a gentle nudge to stay confident and open, because love might arrive in an ordinary place.
Red-headed Restaurant Cashier — Summary
Shake back your hair, O red-headed girl. Let go your laughter and keep your two proud freckles on your chin. Somewhere is a man looking for a red-headed girl and some day maybe he will look into your eyes for a restaurant cashier and find a lover, maybe. Around and around go ten thousand men hunting a red headed girl with two freckles on her chin. I have seen them hunting, hunting. Shake back your hair; let go your laughter.