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. [...]
