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Comment 24 of 54, added on October 12th, 2005 at 5:54 PM.
i think the fact that he is naked in the desert suggests that he is all
alone, completely revealed emotionally to the world; he has nothing to hide
and nowhere to hide it. also i the 'eating of his heart' portrays more a
sense of introspection than self-mutilation. i think he sees his faults but
loves and is proud of himself despite them.
Jesse from United States
Comment 23 of 54, added on September 28th, 2005 at 2:49 PM.
I think that he is on the edge of hiding his heart. He is trying to devour
it to conseal it. He is naked be cause he feels exposed to some one or some
thing. His heart is bitter because he dislikes some thing he has done or
himself. I think he feels alone because he is in the desert and he is not
with anyone. A beautiful work, from an exellent artist.
Carley from United States
Comment 22 of 54, added on September 11th, 2005 at 9:39 AM.
it's a great poem, is it really all that neccessary to critique it online?
do you people really get that big of a kick out of sounding smart? (or
trying to...) I mean, Stephen Crane is great, let's just read his poems,
become deeply effected on several emotional levels and go through life
unknowingly altered, there's no need to bring poetry terminology into the
whole thing!
rhea from United States
Comment 21 of 54, added on August 31st, 2005 at 6:23 AM.
This is a beautiful piece of work. The first thing i see, though, is the
desert. This 'creature', who we all know to be a person, is trapped in a
bleak wasteland of his own soul. Not Hell, as heat is never mentioned, but
dry and dusty and mostly isolated (probably by choice).
Secondly, obviously, the 'creature, naked, beastial,' (l. 2) does represent
someone who has been stripped of all social refinement, and comes to us as
a primitive. Holding his own heart in his hands, as opposed to someone
else holding it (as someone might tell a lover they do) shows this man's
control over himself and his emotions.
Now the big thing: This fellow is not being self-destructive. The narrator
never said that he ATE his heart, only that he ate OF if, or tasted it, as
it were. He took a small sampling of it and found it bitter, which was to
his liking. Bitterness was this fellow's self-made shield, or wall, to
keep himself safe and to keep others, like the narrator, at a distance.
This is a poem about safety and isolation, and, yes, probably cowardice and
stubbornness, but, to go against the popular opinion, not self-destruction
and abuse.
Josh from United States
Comment 20 of 54, added on August 27th, 2005 at 5:21 AM.
a cynic must maintain that his/her cynicism is true - this is the creature
in the desert, the cynic who has made it (or it has all become) reality,
proof, truth!
Nimal from Australia
Comment 19 of 54, added on August 19th, 2005 at 8:05 PM.
Everyone says this poem is about self-destruction, but I think it is really
about liking yourself in spite of your flaws.
Mike M from United States
Comment 18 of 54, added on July 1st, 2005 at 10:00 AM.
The poem “In the Desert” by Stephen Crane is about him or someone he knows
maybe. It’s about this one guy in a desert without any cloths. That means
that he has nothing left in life, he is striped from everything. Then
somebody asks him “is it good my friend”, and he answers “It is bitter –
bitter, but I like it, because it is bitter, and because it is my heart.” I
thank that means his heart is his life and he thanks he is bitter, has
nothing else left in his life, and he likes it, and accepts it.
Ben Dains from United States
Comment 17 of 54, added on June 5th, 2005 at 1:08 PM.
I encountered this poem when I was in my early 30s (I'm in my early 70s
now)at a time when my life situation had taken a sudden spiral downward
into despair resulting from multiple and almost simultaneous losses. From
that place of emptiness and confusion, I found in the metaphor courage,
hope, and strength to accept "what is", to rebuild, and to distinguish my
Life from my "life situation"......Bitter or sweet, it Is my heart, my
Life. And I like it!
Jo from United States
Comment 16 of 54, added on May 31st, 2005 at 7:48 PM.
firstly, ALL HAIL STEPHEN CRANE! secondly, my thoughts.
this poem has become the offical poem of the year in my english class. not
only has everyone memorized it, but is all too eager to perform their
dramatic interpretation. I don't think a single one of them has put any
thought to it's meaning.
Thanks to my lovely family, i have inherited the blessing of manic
depression, and now that i am reasonably sane, i can recognize perverted
thoughts and relate to this poem. When you have depression, you become so
comfortable with self-bashing and mutilation, that you actually would
rather stay there then put in the effort to drag yourself out. Some people
cant understand this mindset at all, but if you have depression you know
exactly what i, and this poem, are talking about.
Erin (from oregon) from United States
Comment 15 of 54, added on May 25th, 2005 at 12:59 PM.
it dont understand what it means! it seems pretty wierd to me. but i
wouldnt know anything about it.
LzH. from United States
This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
1 2 3 [4] 5 6
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i think the fact that he is naked in the desert suggests that he is all
alone, completely revealed emotionally to the world; he has nothing to hide
and nowhere to hide it. also i the 'eating of his heart' portrays more a
sense of introspection than self-mutilation. i think he sees his faults but
loves and is proud of himself despite them.
Jesse from United States