Stephen Crane

Stephen Crane Poems

A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
...

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
...

Behold, the grave of a wicked man,
And near it, a stern spirit.

There came a drooping maid with violets,
...

I saw a man pursuing the horizon;
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;
I accosted the man.
...

Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.
Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And the affrighted steed ran on alone,
Do not weep.
...

A man went before a strange God --
The God of many men, sadly wise.
And the deity thundered loudly,
Fat with rage, and puffing.
...

A spirit sped
Through spaces of night;
And as he sped, he called,
"God! God!"
...

And you love me

I love you.
...

The wayfarer,
Perceiving the pathway to truth,
Was struck with astonishment.
It was thickly grown with weeds.
...

Ay, workman, make me a dream,
A dream for my love.
Cunningly weave sunlight,
Breezes, and flowers.
...

A newspaper is a collection of half-injustices
Which, bawled by boys from mile to mile,
Spreads its curious opinion
To a million merciful and sneering men,
...

Upon the road of my life,
Passed me many fair creatures,
Clothed all in white, and radiant.
To one, finally, I made speech:
...

A man toiled on a burning road,
Never resting.
Once he saw a fat, stupid ass
Grinning at him from a green place.
...

"It was wrong to do this," said the angel.
"You should live like a flower,
Holding malice like a puppy,
Waging war like a lambkin."
...

A youth in apparel that glittered
Went to walk in a grim forest.
There he met an assassin
Attired all in garb of old days;
...

A man saw a ball of gold in the sky;
He climbed for it,
And eventually he achieved it --
It was clay.
...

A god in wrath
Was beating a man;
He cuffed him loudly
With thunderous blows
...

A learned man came to me once.
He said, "I know the way, -- come."
And I was overjoyed at this.
Together we hastened.
...

i

Blustering God,
Stamping across the sky
...

Stephen Crane Biography

an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism. He is recognized by modern critics as one of the most innovative writers of his generation. The eighth surviving child of Methodist Protestant parents, Crane began writing at the age of four and had published several articles by the age of 16. Having little interest in university studies, he left school in 1891 and began work as a reporter and writer. Crane's first novel was the 1893 Bowery tale Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, which critics generally consider the first work of American literary Naturalism. He won international acclaim for his 1895 Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage, which he wrote without any battle experience. In 1896, Crane endured a highly publicized scandal after acting as witness for a suspected prostitute. Late that year he accepted an offer to cover the Spanish-American War as a war correspondent. As he waited in Jacksonville, Florida for passage to Cuba, he met Cora Taylor, the madam of a brothel, with whom he would have a lasting relationship. While en route to Cuba, Crane's ship sank off the coast of Florida, leaving him adrift for several days in a dinghy. His ordeal was later described in "The Open Boat". During the final years of his life, he covered conflicts in Greece and lived in England with Cora, where he befriended writers such as Joseph Conrad and H. G. Wells. Plagued by financial difficulties and ill health, Crane died of tuberculosis in a Black Forest sanatorium at the age of 28. At the time of his death, Crane had become an important figure in American literature. He was nearly forgotten, however, until two decades later when critics revived interest in his life and work. Stylistically, Crane's writing is characterized by vivid intensity, distinctive dialects, and irony. Common themes involve fear, spiritual crises and social isolation. Although recognized primarily for The Red Badge of Courage, which has become an American classic, Crane is also known for short stories such as "The Open Boat", "The Blue Hotel", "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky", and "The Monster". His writing made a deep impression on 20th century writers, most prominent among them Ernest Hemingway, and is thought to have inspired the Modernists and the Imagists.)

The Best Poem Of Stephen Crane

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."

Stephen Crane Comments

Stephanie Wright 02 October 2012

I love his short stories!

63 63 Reply
Sylvia Frances Chan 19 October 2021

SHIV KUMAR BATALVI died at the young age of 35 (Oct 1937 - 1972) LIVERCIROSIS But STEPHEN CRANE died at the age of 28 (TUBERCULOSIS) In fact too young to die!

0 0 Reply
Chuck Ellsworth 14 July 2020

I am trying to locate a specific poem not found in the collection I have. It was brief. It described a man suggesting that people stand in lines. There was outrage and huge fights over whether to stand in line or not. Does anyone have it or know how to find it? Please send an email at " ells.caverizon.net" Thank you

0 0 Reply
John Doe 29 November 2018

In my early days in hoghschool I was one of the kids with the scars, and the hair over the eyes and Stephen Crane's poems saved me from possibly commiting toaster bath. I have so much respect for this man rest in Perpperoni my dude!

10 3 Reply
Jake welch 03 May 2018

'In The Desert' was a very important poem in my formative years. between my parents falling out after year and eventual divorce, and the bullying from my peers, this poem kept me from behaving in a way against my own interest, and becoming a worse person.

6 4 Reply
John Richter 29 May 2015

Red Badge of Courage is one of the greatest books I read as a boy, filling that long ago young mind with something other than the flowery trappings that most authors of his time portrayed the world as. Stephen was a realist, a much needed part of the literary world..... We all owe him a great debt of gratitude. I'm surprised this page is not filled with remarks.

24 14 Reply

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