Upstream
Upstream - meaning Summary
Perseverance Amid Sacrifice
Sandburg’s poem honors persistent, hardworking figures who endure injury, death, and hardship yet continue forward. The repeated phrase stresses continuity: men come on despite being "shot, hanged, sick, broken," while strong mothers rescue and sustain them from harsh landscapes. The poem frames this relentlessness as worthy of collective gratitude and praise, suggesting resilience and communal care are central human virtues in the face of sacrifice.
Read Complete AnalysesThe strong men keep coming on. They go down shot, hanged, sick, broken. They live on, fighting, singing, lucky as plungers. The strong men ... they keep coming on. The strong mothers pulling them from a dark sea, a great prairie, a long mountain. Call hallelujah, call amen, call deep thanks. The strong men keep coming on.
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