Poetry as an Exile’s Longing for Freedom
Created at: July 2, 2025
Poetry is the journal of a sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the air. — Carl Sandburg
The Imagery of Sandburg’s Metaphor
Carl Sandburg’s vivid comparison transforms poetry into the private journal of a creature dislocated from its natural environment—the sea animal on land who dreams of flight. This image evokes feelings of displacement and aspiration, suggesting that poetic expression grows from a tension between where one is and where one longs to be. In naming the animal’s desire to soar, Sandburg signals poetry’s inherent restlessness and yearning for transcendence.
Alienation and Creativity
This sense of existing 'out of water' resonates with broader themes of alienation that often underpin artistic creation. Poets like Emily Dickinson, who famously led a reclusive life, turned their feelings of isolation into works of profound imagination—seeking, much like Sandburg’s sea animal, to leap beyond constraining circumstances. Thus, poetry becomes the language of those who feel out-of-place, yet are compelled to express their wonder and perplexity.
The Aspirational Nature of Art
Transitioning from alienation, Sandburg’s metaphor underscores the aspirational nature of art itself. A sea creature’s wish to fly is, on the face of it, impossible, yet the desire remains powerful. Similarly, poetry strives for transformation, giving shape to impossible longings. As in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 'Kubla Khan', where the poet conjures visions that defy reality, art reflects our drive to reach beyond what is presently attainable.
Journals as Vessels of Inner Life
Moreover, describing poetry as a journal foregrounds the introspective aspect of the craft. Much like a diary, poetry becomes a repository for dreams and anxieties, preserving the authentic voice of the poet. Anne Frank’s diary, though prose, served as both sanctuary and testimony during exile—paralleling the way poetry records and elevates the writer’s internal struggles.
Flight, Transcendence, and Universal Resonance
Sandburg’s final image—yearning to fly—captures poetry’s universal resonance. Across times and cultures, poetry articulates desires that exceed the limits of ordinary experience. The sea animal’s wish to soar embodies humanity’s perpetual hope for freedom and self-expression. In this way, Sandburg’s metaphor invites us to see poetry not merely as creative output, but as a vital act of reaching—connecting our grounded existence with the limitless sky of imagination.