Stephen Crane was a realistic, American author. He also wrote little bits of Naturalism and Impressionism. As a child, Crane was constantly sick. In fact, he was so sick that his parents worried he would not make it. After losing four children before Crane was born, Crane’s parents had reason to worry about losing him. Despite his unhealthy nature, Stephen taught himself to read by the age of four. Crane is seen as the most groundbreaking writer of his generation by many modern day authors. A major theme that is seen throughout Stephen Crane’s writing is the sense of ideal life versus reality. Crane’s poetry differed from other poets during his time because most of his poems were narratives. In his poem “In the Desert,” Crane illustrates that even though a person might not seem human because of their mistakes, the ability to overcome that emotion and not allow the negative aspects of life to consume the positive aspects is what considers a person human (Stephen Crane).
Stephen Crane begins the poem describing a creature that was found “in the desert” (line 1). He uses the word “I” (line 2) to describe who was the one to discover the creature. Crane chose to use the word “I” to illustrate that he is the person who is experiencing this adventure first hand. After establishing that he found the creature in the desert, Crane begins using descriptive words that build an inhuman creature. The word “bestial” (line 2) means to resemble or suggest an animal (Bestial). Therefore, the word “bestial” indicates that the creature was animal-like. Inevitably, the creature that Crane created in line 2 was without human-like characteristics.
Stephen Crane also uses “naked” (line 2) as an adjective to describe the creature that he found in the dese...
... middle of paper ...
...e setting of the poem right away in the beginning. It is important that Crane uses the desert as the location because a desert has some of the characteristics that the creature has. A desert is bitter because of its harsh heat. Not only is a desert seen as bitter, it is seen as empty and as lacking life. The creature in this poem is related to the desert indirectly because the creature is lacking life as well.
Stephen Crane was a realistic author who often times wrote about the difference in ideal life versus reality. He is seen as one of the most groundbreaking writers of his time. Crane’s poetry was unique during his time period because most of his poems told a story; they were narratives. In Crane’s poem “In the Desert” he shows that a person who can overcome their mistakes and not let the negative aspects of life overwhelm the positive is a person who is human.
Moreover, Crane’s genius as "an observer of psychological and social reality" (Baym 1608) was refined after witnessing battle sights during the late 19th century. What he saw was a stark contrast of the peacefulness and morality preached in church and this thus led him to religious rebelliousness. As a prisoner to his surroundings, man (a soldier) is physically, emotionally, and psychologically challenged by nature’s indifference to humankind. For instance, in the story, "what traps the Swede is his fixed idea of his environment," but in the end, it is the environment itself -- comprised of the Blue Hotel, Sculley, Johnnie, Cowboy Bill, the Easterner, and the saloon gambler -- that traps him (Stallman 488).
The imagery used in “The White Heron” is shown through the relationship that is formed with Sylvia and the pine tree. She realizes that she needs to connect with nature and not let human greed take over. “The pine tree seemed to grow taller, the higher that Sylvie climbed. The sky began to brighten in the east. Sylvie’s face was lik...
For many people, the early hours of the morning can hold numerous possibilities from time for quiet reflections to beginning of the day observations to waking up and taking in the fresh air. In the instance of the poems “Five A.M.” and “Five Flights Up,” respective poets William Stafford and Elizabeth Bishop write of experiences similar to these. However, what lies different in their styles is the state of mind of the speakers. While Stafford’s speaker silently reflects on his walk at dawn from a philosophical view of facing the troubles that lie ahead in his day, Bishop’s speaker observes nature’s creations and their blissful well-being after the bad day had before and the impact these negative thoughts have on her psychological state in terms
The poetry of Stephen Crane, at first glance over, might be taken as poetry against religion, depicting the god in a harsh, cold manner. But Stephen Crane does not write his poetry to denounce religion and a god, but he writes it with the mindset to disillusion the fanatics who only see one side of the equation. For Stephen Crane sees more to know better than to just blindly accept the religion he’s a part of, or any predominant religion for that matter, as wholly good and just based solely on the fact that it’s a religion following a god.
Crane also discloses his view of the American society in a realistic light because he exhibits realism by unveiling America’s true monstrous face, and its white privilege- he same white privilege that causes blacks to conform to the standards of a white American society. In doing so, Crane compliments Emerson’s main idea of “Self-Reliance” that people should “believe [their] own thought, to believe that what is true for [themselves] in [their] private heart is true for all men.’’ Emerson’s belief that people should take heed to their own thoughts because society persuades people to conform, summarizes the idea of individuality Crane express in his story “The
As one of America’s leading contemporary poet’s, Sharon Olds is known for the intense personal and emotional poetry that she writes. Her ability to intimately and graphically divulge details of her personal life allows readers to delve into the deepest parts of not only her mind, but of their own as well. Sharon Olds uses her writing to allow readers to experience the good and bad of life through her eyes, yet allows readers the interpretive freedom to define her works as they fit into their own lives. Olds’ ability to depict both wonderful and tragic events in stories such as “First Thanksgiving” and “Still Life in Landscape”with beautifully gruesome clarity allow readers a gritty real-life experience unlike any other.
Seeking and expressing the bare truth is often more difficult than writing stories of fiction. This truth can be harsher to the reader than works of fiction; it can make an author's desire to reveal the essence of society through characters the reader relates to risky and unpopular. Stephen Crane wrote of ordinary people who face difficult circumstances that his readers could relate to (Seaman 148). Crane sought to debunk the ideas that were inherent in nineteenth-century literature, which depicted life in a more favorable, but often unrealistic, light. In Crane's works, Dorothy Nyren Curley says, "There are no false steps, no excesses," (255).
Ferguson, Margaret W., Salter, Mary J., and Stallworthy, Jon. The Norton Anthology of Poetry. fifth ed. N.p.: W.W. Norton, 2005. 2120-2121. 2 Print.
As a way to end his last stanza, the speaker creates an image that surpasses his experiences. When the flock rises, the speaker identifies it as a lady’s gray silk scarf, which the woman has at first chosen, then rejected. As the woman carelessly tosses the scarf toward the chair the casual billow fades from view, like the birds. The last image connects nature with a last object in the poet's
If we have experienced it first hand, it tends to influence our writing in a positive factor. With that being said, we and our reader’s are able to reveal as to why we chose that topic or that underlying message within the sonnet. Benjamin Alire Saenz grew up on a farm in Mesilla, New Mexico. Growing up, he spent majority of his life living in New Mexico. After adventuring out and leaving his native home, he moved to Texas and was a priest for a few years. Knowing that Saenz grew up in the hot desert of New Mexico and his history with a religious role in a church, it gave him inspiration to write this poem. Individuals that enjoy reading his literary work have an understanding about why he chose the desert and the message being about having a spiritual connection and desire for god. After understanding and getting to know the author a little bit better, it helps a high school individual like myself perceive the prominent poem in terms of a poetry
Stephen Crane’s short story, “The Open Boat” speaks directly to Jack London’s own story, “To Build A Fire” in their applications of naturalism and views on humanity. Both writers are pessimistic in their views of humanity and are acutely aware of the natural world. The representations of their characters show humans who believe that they are strong and can ably survive, but these characters many times overestimate themselves which can lead to an understanding of their own mortality as they face down death.
Utopia as a text is a clear reflection and representation of More’s passion for ideas and art. Through the character of Raphael, More projects and presents his ideas, concepts and beliefs of politics and society. More’s Utopia aims to create a statement on the operations and effectiveness of the society of England. This text is a general reflection of More’s idea of a perfectly balanced and harmonious society. His ideas and concepts of society somewhat contrast to the rest of 16th century England and indicate a mind that was far ahead of its time. A number of issues and themes are raised throughout the text to which More provides varying views and opinions. These are transmitted and projected through the perspectives of the fictional Raphael, More and Giles.
bird as the metaphor of the poem to get the message of the poem across
If it was not for Stephen Crane and his visionary work than American Realism would not have taken hold of the United States during the eighteen hundreds. During the years following the Civil War America was a melting pot of many different writing styles. Many scholars argue that at this time there was still no definite American author or technique. Up to this point authors in the Americas simply copied techniques that were popular in regions of Europe. Stephen Crane came onto the scene with a very different approach to many of his contemporaries. He was a realist, and being such he described actions in a true, unadorned way that portrayed situations in the manner that they actually occurred (Kaplan). He had numerous admired pieces but his most famous work was the Red Badge of Courage (Bentley 103). In this novel he illustrates the accounts of a Union soldier named Henry Fleming. At first the writing was considered too graphic and many people did not buy the book. Eventually the American people changed their opinions and began to gravitate towards Crane’s work. The readers were fascinated by the realistic environment he creates even though he himself had never fought in a war (Bentley 103). By spreading the influence of realistic writing Crane has come to be known as the first American Realist.
The consistent pattern of metrical stresses in this stanza, along with the orderly rhyme scheme, and standard verse structure, reflect the mood of serenity, of humankind in harmony with Nature. It is a fine, hot day, `clear as fire', when the speaker comes to drink at the creek. Birdsong punctuates the still air, like the tinkling of broken glass. However, the term `frail' also suggests vulnerability in the presence of danger, and there are other intimations in this stanza of the drama that is about to unfold. Slithery sibilants, as in the words `glass', `grass' and `moss', hint at the existence of a Serpent in the Garden of Eden. As in a Greek tragedy, the intensity of expression in the poem invokes a proleptic tenseness, as yet unexplained.