Metaphorical Fences In A Fence By Carl Sandburg

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The poem “A Fence” by Carl Sandburg talks about how metaphorical defenses or ”fences” can keep unfavorable elements from your life, such as “vagabonds and hungry men”, but also favorable elements such as “wondering children”. One example of metaphorical fences is being wary of people, it can keep the unsound type of people out of one’s life, but it may also cause building friendships a bit more difficult. The poem mentions how complex some fences can be and how it can hurt others that may try to go through them. Everybody has a fence, some are high, some are short. However, they can never keep three things out: “Death and the Rain and To-morrow.”

As I’ve mentioned, everybody has some type of fence, and I’m not exempt. What I would imagine

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