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The Poetry of Stephen Crane

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While Stephen Crane is justly famous for "The Red Badge of Courage," he deserves to be just as famous for his poetry, gathered here in one short volume. It's gnomic, stark, and cynical as only deeply wounded idealism can be, casting a jaundiced yet compassionate eye on humanity, which he sees as stripped of its comforting illusions by the modern age, and thus utterly alone & terrified:

A man said to the universe:

"Sir, I exist!"

"However," replied the universe,

"The fact has not created in me

A sense of obligation."

And so we run & hide from the harsh truth:

I was in the darkness;

I could not see my words

Nor the wishes of my heart.

Then suddenly there was a great light --

"Let me into the darkness again."

Yet Crane sees that the only response to the truth is to face it, however painful that may be, however he might be despised for doing so:

"Think as I think," said a man,

"Or you are abominably wicked;

You are a toad."

And after I had thought of it,

I said, "I will, then, be a toad."

If this isn't contemporary, then what is? In fact, as we slide into an age of irrationality, of fundamentalism, of happy thoughts & media-massaged minds, Crane's honesty is all the more affecting & needed. For those who seek a poet with something vital & relevant to say, you've definitely found him. Most highly recommended!