Excerp from the People, Yes

Excerp from the People, Yes - context Summary

Composed During the Depression

Written into The People, Yes and published in 1936, this free-verse excerpt uses a child's innocent question to expose the absurdity and tragedy of war. Sandburg frames popular speech and plain experience to voice democratic concern for ordinary people during the Great Depression. The brief exchange suggests a hopeful, ironic vision—that societal change might come when people simply refuse to participate in organized violence—reflecting Sandburg’s populist sympathies.