Carl Sandburg

Glimmer

Glimmer - meaning Summary

Gendered Ledger of Aging

The poem addresses a woman at a mirror and confronts aging and social cost. It contrasts the permanent marks life leaves on her with the lighter, performative role of men. The speaker implies a transactional, unequal response from men toward women, turning personal signs of living into a judgment or payment. The short lines compress an admonition about recognition, self-examination, and gendered accountability.

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LET down your braids of hair, lady. Cross your legs and sit before the looking-glass And gaze long on lines under your eyes. Life writes; men dance. And you know how men pay women.

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