The Right to Grief
Carl Sandburg
1878 to 1967
To Certain Poets About to Die
Take your fill of intimate remorse, perfumed sorrow.
Over the dead child of a millionaire.
And the pity of Death refusing any check on the bank
Which the millionaire might order his secretary to scratch off
And get cashed
Very well,
You for your grief and I for mine
Let me have a sorrow my own if I want to
I shall cry over the dead child of a stockyards hunky
His job is sweeping blood off the floor
He gets a dollar seventy cents a day when he works
And it’s many tubs of blood he shoves out with a broom day by day.
Now his three year old daughter
Is in a white coffin that cost him a week’s wages.
Every Saturday night he will pay the undertaker fifty cents till the debt is wiped out
The hunky and his wife and the kids
Cry over the pinched face almost at peace in the white box
They remember it was scrawny and ran up high doctor bills
They are glad it is gone for the rest of the family now will have more to eat and wear
Yet before the majesty of Death they cry around the coffin
And wipe their eyes with red bandanas and sob when the priest says,
"God have mercy on us all"
I have a right to feel my throat choke about this
You take your grief and I mine — see?
Tomorrow there is no funeral and the hunky goes back to his job sweeping blood off the floor at a dollar seventy cents a day
All he does all day long is keep on shoving hog blood ahead of him with a broom
Carl Sandburg's The Right to Grief
We are busy working to bring Carl Sandburg's "The Right to Grief" to life through our unique musical arrangements and will have a full analysis of the poem here for you soon.
At V2Melody, each arrangement is crafted with care through a thoughtful partnership of human artistry and technological innovation. This process involves:
- Deep analysis of the poem's rhythm, structure, and emotional essence
- Careful selection of musical styles that enhance the poem's unique voice
- Balancing traditional poetic expression with contemporary sound landscapes
- Multiple revisions to ensure the arrangement honors the poet's original vision
This creative journey takes time—each composition represents hours of dedicated work to create something that deepens our connection to Carl Sandburg's words in meaningful ways.
While you wait for our complete interpretation, we invite you to explore other musical arrangements in our gallery or learn more about Carl Sandburg's life and contributions to literature.
Check back soon to experience how "The Right to Grief" transforms when verse meets melody—a unique journey that makes poetry accessible, engaging, and profoundly moving in new ways.