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The Complete Poems of Stephen Crane
Though he is best known for The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane was also a remarkable poet whose poetry is full of irony and paradox, yet is often gentle and compassionate. This is the definitive edition of his poetry, including all 135 poems, published and unpublished during his lifetime, as well as a substantial introduction by Joseph Katz.
Paperback, 155 pages
Published
November 1st 2005
by Large Print Book Company
(first published 1951)
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The exhaustive collection Crane's overlooked poetry. Always humane and unpretentious, many of these terse poems zero in on the heart of great truths.
You tell me this is God?
I tell you this is a printed list,
A burning candle, and an ass.
You tell me this is God?
I tell you this is a printed list,
A burning candle, and an ass.
Crane's economical approach to language offers all the potency of great literary art in brief, laconic poems. Precise, fast-flowing (often epigrammatic), here is a writer who artfully cuts into the heart of his craft without a word to waste. His work is emphatic, convincing, but not 'preachy' or over-flowing. To plug his argument: "Preaching is fatal to art in literature. I try to give readers a slice out of life; and if there is any moral or lesson in it, I do not try to point it out. I let the...more
Though i be credential-less, Crane is the best to me. i could read this collection forever.
XXXIX
The livid lightnings flashed in the clouds;
The leaden thunders crashed.
A worshipper raised his arm.
"Hearken! Hearken! The voice of God!"
"Not so," said a man.
"The voice of God whispers in the heart
So softly
That the soul pauses,
Making no noise,
And strives for these melodies,
Distant, sighing, like faintest breath,
And all the being is still to hear."
XXXIX
The livid lightnings flashed in the clouds;
The leaden thunders crashed.
A worshipper raised his arm.
"Hearken! Hearken! The voice of God!"
"Not so," said a man.
"The voice of God whispers in the heart
So softly
That the soul pauses,
Making no noise,
And strives for these melodies,
Distant, sighing, like faintest breath,
And all the being is still to hear."
I ran across this poem years ago and was hooked on Crane’s poetry.
In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said: “Is it good, friend?”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;
“But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart.”
Characteristically terse and pessimistic. It was interesting to read the complete works. (There are only 135 poems—Crane died at the age of 28 of TB.) His inward conflict with the pligh...more
In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said: “Is it good, friend?”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;
“But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart.”
Characteristically terse and pessimistic. It was interesting to read the complete works. (There are only 135 poems—Crane died at the age of 28 of TB.) His inward conflict with the pligh...more
I gotta tell ya. Poetry ain't easy.
It takes a desire and a focus and you have to be OK with not understanding much of it.
Some of the poetry in this book, in my opinion, is just awful. It's the kind of poetry I've written down, thought better of and thrown away. Seriously. On the other hand, there are some great pieces (47, 51, 66 and 96, in particular, caught my attention).
Anyone who has read my book reviews (and seriously, is anyone *not* reading them?) knows I'm not particularly a big poetry g...more
It takes a desire and a focus and you have to be OK with not understanding much of it.
Some of the poetry in this book, in my opinion, is just awful. It's the kind of poetry I've written down, thought better of and thrown away. Seriously. On the other hand, there are some great pieces (47, 51, 66 and 96, in particular, caught my attention).
Anyone who has read my book reviews (and seriously, is anyone *not* reading them?) knows I'm not particularly a big poetry g...more
Dec 17, 2007
Seth
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Shelves:
the-best
they're great. so are his stories, especially "The Open Boat."
It was only a matter of time before the poems of Stephen Crane, best known for his classic Civil War novel, //Red Badge of Courage//, found their way to the American Poets Project of the Library of America, whose mission is to publish neglected poets. Thomas Hardy, whose dates both precede and antedate Crane’s by more than a quarter century on either side, regarded himself, as did Crane, first as a poet, and only secondarily as the author of the books for which he is famous. A few poems here, al...more
I really can do no justice to this often overlooked poet (most read "Red Badge of Courage" in High School, and then just forget about him, criminally ignoring America's second great Goth (Poe being first)and first Emo). Instead, I'll just post a poem of his (or two) to allow his work to speak for him.
1.
Once, I knew a fine song,
-- It is true, believe me --
It was all of birds,
And I held them in a basket;
When I opened the wicket,
Heavens! They all flew away.
I cried, "Come back, little thoughts!"
But...more
1.
Once, I knew a fine song,
-- It is true, believe me --
It was all of birds,
And I held them in a basket;
When I opened the wicket,
Heavens! They all flew away.
I cried, "Come back, little thoughts!"
But...more
3 likes · like · see review
A Wallace Stevens he isn't, but Crane adequately traverses the questions of existence confronted by most thinking, feeling, caring folks of the past few centuries, if not further back. At times he's more didactic than expressive or poetic, but always he's searching, and often heart-achingly so. I re-read this volume in the early '90s and revisit it often as certain lines float to my mental surface. One can re-read poems hundreds of times and still need to revisit the text on befitting occasions.
May 18, 2007
Kristopher
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those who like existentialism, or short, accessible poetry
Stephen Crane is a strange poet. He is not, by many technical measures, great. Some might even argue he's not very good. I think he has a wonderful voice. His poems are quite personal, thought-provoking, aphoristic in quality, and will keep you thinking about God, human nature, war, sin, and redemption (well, less redemption and more sin and war). He has a really keen sense for turn of phrase that stays with you and drives his themes home. For instance, his poem "In the Desert" reads:
In the dese...more
In the dese...more
I fancy myself a poet. I've churned out page after page of self-importance and angst. But then I go back and reread the master of the style that I vainly attempt to imitate - Stephen Crane. And I remember that I am just a little man, living in my little corner of the world, casting arrows at the sun, like some kind of 21st century Nimrod.
absolutely one of the best pieces of poetry I have ever read...
Should the wide world roll away,
Leaving black terror,
Limitless night,
Nor God, nor man, nor place to stand
Would be to me essential,
If thou and thy white arms were there,
And the fall to doom a long way.
best that...
Should the wide world roll away,
Leaving black terror,
Limitless night,
Nor God, nor man, nor place to stand
Would be to me essential,
If thou and thy white arms were there,
And the fall to doom a long way.
best that...
1 like · like · see review
I saw a man pursuing the horizon;
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;
I accosted the man.
"It is futile," I said,
"You can never --"
"You lie," he cried,
And ran on.
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;
I accosted the man.
"It is futile," I said,
"You can never --"
"You lie," he cried,
And ran on.
This is my favorite book of poetry that I own. I have owned this for years and to this day his style blows me away.
I read an edition edited by Christopher Benfey-blown away by this poet.
People usually don't recognize Crane as a poet [he also wrote The Red Badge of Courage and The Open Boat]. His poems read like short, stark proverbs...not all of them are terribly poetic, but most include vivid images.
Here's one:
I saw a man pursuing the horizon;
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;
I accosted the man.
"It is futile," I said,
"You can never--"
"You lie," he cried,
And ran on.
And part of another:
A lad and a maid in a canoe,
And a paddle making silver turmoil
Here's one:
I saw a man pursuing the horizon;
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;
I accosted the man.
"It is futile," I said,
"You can never--"
"You lie," he cried,
And ran on.
And part of another:
A lad and a maid in a canoe,
And a paddle making silver turmoil
My all time favorite Poet- NOT to be missed
Expressions of bitter love and brutal honesty
Having Stephen Crane shoved down my throat during my formative years (he went to, and was subsequently thrown out of, my high school) it seemed unlikely at the time that I would enjoy anything by him on my own time.
However, it turns out his prose is very pleasant when he isn't telling some dumbass story. I didn't read this particular anthology but I'd expect similar culprits in the table of contents and, quite literally, 3/5ths of them are worth reading (luckily it's a five-star rating scale).
However, it turns out his prose is very pleasant when he isn't telling some dumbass story. I didn't read this particular anthology but I'd expect similar culprits in the table of contents and, quite literally, 3/5ths of them are worth reading (luckily it's a five-star rating scale).
just reread this. still the best.
A man saw a ball of gold in the sky;
He climbed for it,
And eventually he achieved it--
It was clay.
Now this is the strange part:
When the man went to the earth
And looked again,
Lo, there was the ball of gold.
Now this is the strange part:
It was a ball of gold.
Aye, by the heavens, it was a ball of gold.
A man saw a ball of gold in the sky;
He climbed for it,
And eventually he achieved it--
It was clay.
Now this is the strange part:
When the man went to the earth
And looked again,
Lo, there was the ball of gold.
Now this is the strange part:
It was a ball of gold.
Aye, by the heavens, it was a ball of gold.
2 likes · like · see review
A man said to the universe:
Sir I exist!
However, replied the universe,
The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many red devils ran from my heart
And out upon the page.
They were so tiny
The pen could mash them.
And many struggled in the ink.
It was strange
To write in this red muck
Of things from my heart.
Sir I exist!
However, replied the universe,
The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many red devils ran from my heart
And out upon the page.
They were so tiny
The pen could mash them.
And many struggled in the ink.
It was strange
To write in this red muck
Of things from my heart.
One of my favorite Poets
Some of these are witty,
Some are bitter.
Many are Beautiful:
Should the wide world roll away,
Leaving black terror,
Limitless night,
Nor God, nor man, nor place to stand
Would be to me essential,
If thou and thy white arms were there,
And the fall to doom a long way.
Find a better love poem thenthat.
Some of these are witty,
Some are bitter.
Many are Beautiful:
Should the wide world roll away,
Leaving black terror,
Limitless night,
Nor God, nor man, nor place to stand
Would be to me essential,
If thou and thy white arms were there,
And the fall to doom a long way.
Find a better love poem thenthat.
Stephen Crane's poetry was a balm to my soul at one time. I carried the following poem around with me for years until it finally disintegrated in my wallet:
"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."
"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."
Oct 23, 2007
Alexei
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who likes short, potent poetry
I was amazed to learn that Stephen Crane was a poet. Red Badge of Courage...good stuff...blah blah blah. But his poems reveal another world of his creative genius. Usually very short, very vivid and visceral, this was great stuff when I was 17.
sublime.
Stephen Crane is one of my favorite poets. He's got this really visceral way of baring a subject down to the bare bone and pinning the wriggling beast to a board and defining it in just a few simple words.
I love Crane's poetry. It's simple and stark, and circles darkly around and around the topics of sin, faith and human nature. It had a huge impact on me when I first discovered it.
A Man Said to the Universe
A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."
A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."
I'm really not that much of a "poetry" guy, but I do really like these. Short, dark and bitter... just how I would like my coffee... if I drank that nasty stuff.
A man said to the universe:
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.”
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.”
1 like · like · see review
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Stephen Crane was an American novelist, poet and journalist, best known for the novel Red Badge of Courage. That work introduced the reading world to Crane's striking prose, a mix of impressionism, naturalism and symbolism. He died at age 28 in Badenweiler, Baden, Germany.
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“In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, ‘Is it good, friend?’
‘It is bitter — bitter,’ he answered,
‘But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart.”
—
240 people liked it
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, ‘Is it good, friend?’
‘It is bitter — bitter,’ he answered,
‘But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart.”
“When the suicide arrived at the sky, the people there asked him: "Why?" He replied: "Because no one admired me.”
—
8 people liked it
More quotes…
Nov 05, 2007 06:35pm