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Stephen Crane - I saw a man pursuing the horizon

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.

Added: on March 26th, 2008 at 6:18 PM | Viewed: 19238 times | Comments and analysis of I saw a man pursuing the horizon by Stephen Crane Comments (19)


I saw a man pursuing the horizon - Comments and Information

Poet: Stephen Crane (Stephen Crane Art)
Poem: 24. I saw a man pursuing the horizon
Volume: The Black Riders & Other Lines
Year: Published/Written in 1905
Poem of the Day: Jun 25 2000

Comment 19 of 19, added on July 17th, 2009 at 7:09 PM.

A man pursues a dream. For the ordinary spectator this is an unsurmountable task and hence they try to convince him to withdraw. However, as many scientists, sportsmen, nnd artists before, and for the sake of all of us, he is so strongly persuaded of his endevour that he does not attend to the pledge of mediocre and run towards a better horizon for mankind.

Maximo Vento from Spain
Comment 18 of 19, added on December 8th, 2008 at 8:28 PM.

I've got to side with Andy here. Crane was a man that rejected traditional religious beliefs. In this case, the poet is the speaker. The issue isn't that questing for perfection is futile. The fact that the man doesn't even let the speaker finish his statement and insists that he can attain the unattainable points to Crane's reason for writing this poem. Idealism is fine, but blind idealism is known by another term "stupidity".

Ken from United States
Comment 17 of 19, added on March 26th, 2008 at 6:18 PM.

Crane is a naturalist he is interested in showing how faith in something you can never reach is ignorant and how men refuse to believe the impossible is possible and that blind faith in achieving the impossible is futile.

Andy from United States

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