#Poetic Imagination

Poetry as an Exile’s Longing for Freedom

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. [...]