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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE BLACK RIDERS: 49, by STEPHEN CRANE Poet Analysis First Line: I stood musing in a black world Last Line: "fool! Fool! Fool!" | |||
I stood musing in a black world, Not knowing where to direct my feet. And I saw the quick stream of men Pouring ceaselessly, Filled with eager faces, A torrent of desire. I called to them, "Where do you go? What do you see?" A thousand voices called to me. A thousand fingers pointed. "Look! look! There!" I know not of it. But, lo! In the far sky shone a radiance Ineffable, divine -- A vision painted upon a pall; And sometimes it was, And sometimes it was not. I hesitated. Then from the stream Came roaring voices, Impatient: "Look! look! There!" So again I saw, And leaped, unhesitant, And struggled and fumed With outspread clutching fingers. The hard hills tore my flesh; The ways bit my feet. At last I looked again. No radiance in the far sky, Ineffable, divine; No vision painted upon a pall; And always my eyes ached for the light. Then I cried in despair, "I see nothing! Oh, where do I go?" The torrent turned again its faces: "Look! look! There!" And at the blindness of my spirit They screamed, "Fool! Fool! Fool!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE BLACK RIDERS: 22 by STEPHEN CRANE THE BLACK RIDERS: 38 by STEPHEN CRANE THE BLACK RIDERS: 56 by STEPHEN CRANE THE BLACK RIDERS: 9 by STEPHEN CRANE WAR IS KIND: 1 by STEPHEN CRANE WAR IS KIND: 12 by STEPHEN CRANE WAR IS KIND: 21 by STEPHEN CRANE |
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