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The Black Riders and Other Lines

Stephen Crane

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Book Excerpt: 
. . .Black Riders came from the sea. There was clang and clang of spear and shield, And clash and clash of hoof and heel, Wild shouts and the wave of hair In the rush upon the wind: Thus the ride of Sin. II Three little birds in a row Sat musing. A man passed near that place. Then did the little birds nudge each other. They said, "He thinks he can sing." They threw back their heads to laugh, With quaint countenances They regarded him. They were very curious, Those three little birds in a row. III 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." . . . Read More

Community Reviews

• "But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart." •

First, two confessions.
One--I know I read The Red Badge of Courage in highschool. I remember writing a paper on the color symbolism. I remember that I got an A. But I remember literally NOTHING about the actual book, beyond the fact that I liked it and was surprised to like a book about war so much.

Sharp, short little poems -- a each dark joy to discover. The preface to my copy says that Hemingway was an admirer. I would go further and say that Hemingway was a copyist.

I was more aware of Stephen Crane as a novelist than as a poet, but his directness and simple prose really shine in this collection. As is usual for me, I liked his short poems more, but unlike most authors of his era (the late 1800's) Crane mostly sticks to shorter poems.

Here are my favorites from

I'm afraid of outgrowing my love of these poems. They seem meant for young hotheads, raging at God and man. Wonderful.

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