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Comment 12 of 12, added on November 14th, 2009 at 8:01 PM.
Certainly it is poetry! Rhyme and meter do not equal poetry--they are only
tools (two of the many) that poets may choose to use. It is the creative,
succinct, unique way that Crane reveals an essential truth that makes it
poetry. If anything equals poetry, it is beauty--and beauty is truth.
Wade from United States
Comment 11 of 12, added on October 17th, 2009 at 8:16 AM.
As the poem suggests, we are each free (at the risk of being a toad) to
decide for ourselves the merit of Crane's poetic form. However, if one
finds the thought expressed by the poem at all appealing, I would recommend
reading "The Complete Poems of Stephen Crane", which includes the poems in
"The Black Riders and Other Lines" and others. Not only are there some
other great pieces to be enjoyed and contemplated, but it will be helpful
in discovering the rhythm and flow his style, as well as the patterns of
his thoughts, which were significantly influenced by his life and times,
but offer timeless value.
Ray from United States
Comment 10 of 12, added on June 21st, 2007 at 12:34 AM.
You might be right that it has no poetic resonance to the lines, and that
it might then not be considered poetry.
That, or you might try reading it differently. I find the poetic resonance
quite readily, myself.
But then, I think that's the whole point of the poem to begin with, now
isn't it?
Maurkus from United States
Comment 9 of 12, added on January 19th, 2006 at 8:31 AM.
"Poetry is an imaginary garden with real toads in it." The world in which a
poet (Crane) creates is fictional, but the ideas, themes, messages, and
doctrines are as real as you yourself. In my opinion, Crane does create
poetry because he does this very thing.
Joshua from Canada
Comment 8 of 12, added on August 15th, 2005 at 8:23 AM.
This is such a beautiful piece of work. This
I'd-rather-be-a-toad-than-accepting-false-knowledge mindset is the only way
that scientific advances can be made. This is the way that progress is
made. Just because everyone says that it's true does not make it true. As
Nietzsche said, "You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing
star." We must learn to question the knowledge imposed on us by others and
seek truth through our own selves.
Lucie Guo from United States
Comment 7 of 12, added on June 20th, 2005 at 11:29 AM.
wow this is the most catastrophic poem i have ever read in my life i love
it, it changed y life
christian from United States
Comment 6 of 12, added on June 8th, 2005 at 4:47 AM.
but is it poetry?
it's like dh lawrence's pansies, i mean obviously a lot of people admire
them but i just don't feel the poetry in them. they're more brief thoughts
that, while worth saying, don't contain any special poetic resonance for
me.
don't get me wrong, i don't think a poem has to rhyme to be a poem, it just
has to be a poem to be a poem.
admirable sentiment, and one that others have expressed in different ways,
but a poem?
i'd love for someone to prove me wrong here, explain why it is a poem - i
don't want to be dismissive, but i'm genuinely not getting it.
alistair from United Kingdom
Comment 5 of 12, added on April 17th, 2005 at 10:43 PM.
I think it is that we all know that we dont need to conform to society.
Just because someone puts themselves on a petti-stool does not mean we have
to look up to them.
Elizabeth from United States
Comment 4 of 12, added on December 20th, 2004 at 3:56 PM.
I have had a great affinity for this poem since I first discovered it in my
11th grade year. The dialogue between Crane and "a man" seemed to resemble
many a conversations I encountered with countless "figures of authority" of
the time. Today I reply with a quote from Emerson: "Nothing is at last
sacred but the integrity of your own mind." I believe that, although one
may let others influence his ideas(human nature), it is ultimately his own
doings that will manifest his destiny.
Anthony from United States
Comment 3 of 12, added on November 6th, 2004 at 6:36 PM.
I have loved this poem since I was very young. It is short yet says it
all! I thought about this poem often as I had to listen to many
closed-minded people during the long months leading up to this last
election, and it definitely helped to calm me down! I think some people
don't understand this poem because they don't realize how insulting it was
(at the time it was written) to call someone a toad!
Jeanne from United States
This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
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Certainly it is poetry! Rhyme and meter do not equal poetry--they are only
tools (two of the many) that poets may choose to use. It is the creative,
succinct, unique way that Crane reveals an essential truth that makes it
poetry. If anything equals poetry, it is beauty--and beauty is truth.
Wade from United States