(2) Sea Level
We're not gonna lie: Sandburg was a master of writing clear, direct, unfussy, straight-to-the-point poems, and we totally love him for it. This poem's simplicity is what makes it so powerful—and what makes it so darn easy to read. The poem might raise some challenges for you if you're not up on your military history and familiar with all of the battlefields that Sandburg mentions. But never fear—Shmoop is here, and we give you all the war deets in our "Detailed Summary" section.