Upstairs

Upstairs - context Summary

Published in 1916

Published in Carl Sandburg's 1916 collection Chicago Poems, "Upstairs" is a brief lyric that inventories neglected childhood toys stored in a garret. The simple, repetitive listing of tin soldiers, a broken wagon, and dusty playthings evokes quiet nostalgia and the small, private losses of growing up. The poem’s plain diction and domestic image make memory immediate and unadorned within the context of Sandburg’s early work.