Couple things I'm aiming to do here, get information, get opinions. So I read quite a bit, novels mostly, I'm not very in the know when it comes to poetry, and types of poetry. So i was introduced by a firend to this poetry by a man named Stephen Crane, an author from the late 1800s. Needless to say, I was immediately intrigued after reading his first "line" as he calls them. He writes a very short style of poetry, and what I'm wondering is if this stuff has any sort of classification, and if I can find more of this type. Of course I'm also curious of your guys opinions about him and his work... if your familiar with it. Ill put a few of my favorite poems of his here.


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."

-----

Once there came a man
Who said,
"Range me all men of the world in rows."
And instantly
There was terrific clamour among the people
Against being ranged in rows.
There was a loud quarrel, world-wide.
It endured for ages;
And blood was shed
By those who would not stand in rows,
And by those who pined to stand in rows.
Eventually, the man went to death, weeping.
And those who stayed in bloody scuffle
Knew not the great simplicity.

--------

A learned man came to me once.
He said, "I know the way, -- come."
And I was overjoyed at this.
Together we hastened.
Soon, too soon, were we
Where my eyes were useless,
And I knew not the ways of my feet.
I clung to the hand of my friend;
But at last he cried, "I am lost."



So yeah, as you can see very short poems, and very interesting...to me anyway. Any thoughts?

These are interesting indeed.

I'm having trouble with the third one. Is he saying that if you follow others, you lose your ability to think and act for yourself?

I interpretate it as a warning against trusting someone too easily, even if they are "learned." To always question what others say, and to make up your own mind.

I like these poems. I've recently discovered how much I like minimalism, the abstract, and impressionism in art and music, and it's nice to find a poet in this vein as well.

I'd say that last one says that you should not trust important decisions about your life to others, because they feel the same uncertainty and hesitation as you do about the important decisions in their lives; they are lost too. As for the poems themselves less is more, more often than not and this is a great example. Will seek out his work, these are great especially the first one which strikes me as the one with more layers of meaning.

Maybe they're poems relating to; The human condition ?

"It can be described as the irreducible part of humanity that is inherent and not dependent on factors such as gender, race or class. It includes concerns such as the meaning of life, the search for gratification, the sense of curiosity, the inevitability of isolation, or anxiety regarding the inescapability of death"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_condition

Is the first poem to do with - 'better the devil you know than the devil you don't',



of just being mindful and at peace with their world? (which cannot be changed only observed)

How so? I don't see anything in the poems that conclusively points there.

Also, I'm thinking that the first poem is loosely about a sense of belonging. It may not be the best heart, I might not even like it, but it's mine.