To view more poems I have examined, click HERE.
I Saw a Man Pursuing the Horizon
by Stephen Crane
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.
___________________________
This eight line poem by Stephen Crane is divided between a six line stanza an a two, and it is written with no rhyme scheme or set meter.
The first stanza presents the Reader with a problem – or at least the scenario. The last two lines tell us that the situation will continue.
The meaning of the poem is open to some interpretation. It is a commentary on the stubbornness of man, particularly in pursuit of his dreams. However, you can either imbue the tale with negativity or positivity, depending on how you view the response of the runner.
Is it romantic or optimistic to pursue ambition against impossible odds? Or is it stupid and a waste of time? Was it really the business of the Speaker in the first place, such that he took it upon himself to accost the man?
This poem – like a lot of Crane’s writing – is written with the intention of making his readers ask questions and to think. He also does an excellent job with the use of imagery – both visual imagery and imagery of movement.
I do not usually like free verse poetry, but I do when it can produce a clear vision in my mind and makes me think. Crane accomplishes that here. I do not have a settled opinion. It might be that the runner is wasting his time and that it is none of the Speaker’s business. Alternatively, maybe some day the runner really does catch the horizon, and even success for him is a waste of time. Does it benefit himself or his community to catch the horizon?
It can be a difficult thing to know whether what we do ourselves is possible and worth doing. It might be something akin to chasing the horizon to try dictating that for someone else. Maybe the Speaker – in trying to dissuade the runner – is engaging in something pretty similar to what the runner is doing.
Reading Crane is always a lot of fun. What do you think about this poem?
