The World's Fair (in a Nutshell)

A knick-knack shoved in the pocket of a long coat:  In this seed  are the facades of skyscrapers and gold hair ornaments sprung from the roots where endless rows  of concrete and metal decorate the fertilized park with an orchard of aluminum and of bark  May the negatives spring  from the seed flaps and recapture  the essence  of color and of creation  The rainbow metropolis curves the rays of progression massive and technological through the camera into inklings of its original image, and through the lens transform the dull recollection of black and of white Into a seance those futuristic visions hide behind and exclaim! they recreate the cabins and the forest of the past and of repeating the past The souvenir with its size insurmountable to the indomitable spirit  of communication and of pride A strength, like hard roots with ridges climbs between the wings and the pillars passing by terraces overlooking the concrete garden and on the pillars is the ego of — “I WILL”—  the statement of progress and of devolution  A desire of an entire world in my linens a memorial that was lived through the sanguinity of trinkets and of novelties Celebrates the Centennial of aluminum and of bark.

About the Poem

Modernist poetry often breaks from traditional structure, favoring free verse, disjointed rhythm or meter, and abstract imagery. Inspired by this approach, I wrote a modernist-style poem centered on the 1933 Chicago World's Fair and a souvenir walnut shell that holds miniature images of the fair's buildings.

My poem explores the fair's many dualities—between utopia and dystopia, nature and technology, past and future. Above the first image inside the walnut shell are the words "I WILL," a city motto adopted from an 1892 newspaper competition. The phrase reflects Chicago's restless energy and spirit but can also be read as a declaration of ego. The fair celebrated innovation in health, science, and technology, but these ideals were also intertwined with exclusionary and harmful ideologies. For instance, the commissioners accepted a Roman pillar as a gift from fascist Italy, whose regime co-opted the Futurist movement to support its political agenda. My poem reflects on how pride in progress can both uplift and oppress.

The fair's contradictions were reflected in its structures. Its purpose was to celebrate progress and futurism, but it heavily focused on the past. Alongside the futurist exhibits were reproductions of log cabins and colonial forts, symbols of an idealized past. The nutshell souvenir itself represents this contrast: a natural object enclosing manmade marvels.

These tensions were present in 1933 and they remain with us today. My poem attempts to hold these opposites together.

View more world's fairs souvenirs and so much more in our exhibition World's Fairs: Visions of Tomorrow, on view May 30, 2025 through February 22, 2026.