Carl Sandburg

The Hammer

The Hammer - meaning Summary

Shifting Allegiances of Belief

The poem observes how beliefs and idols change over time, presenting faith as mutable rather than fixed. The speaker notes successive generations replacing old gods with new ones and accepts a practical, work-oriented object—the hammer—as the focus of worship. The tone is direct and unsentimental, suggesting that devotion may shift from mythic or spiritual figures to tools and labor, reflecting modern values of industry and usefulness.

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I have seen The old gods go And the new gods come. Day by day And year by year The idols fall And the idols rise. Today I worship the hammer.

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