Tags
Galford, Honor, Knight, poetry, Poets, Pretzels and Bullfights, Realist, Stephen Crane, War
Stephen Crane. Image acquired through public domain of the United States, via Wikimedia Commons.
This week’s Pretzels and Bullfights special is an ode to the changing of an age, to the death of the dream-like chivalry to which man once clung, and the rise of the horror of grim reality. “Fast rode the knight” is a famous work by one Stephen Crane, an American novelist, short story writer, poet and (this journalist’s heart be still) journalist. He was a hallmark of the late 19th century, and one of the foremost examples of the rise of the realist tradition in literature. He is perhaps best known, however, for his novel, The Red Badge of Courage, which is still wide-read in classrooms today.
“Fast rode the knight”
Fast rode the knight
With spurs, hot and reeking,
Ever waving an eager sword,
“To save my lady!”
Fast rode the knight,
And leaped from saddle to war.
Men of steel flickered and gleamed
Like riot of silver lights,
And the gold of the knight’s good banner
Still waved on a castle wall.
. . . . .
A horse,
Blowing, staggering, bloody thing,
Forgotten at foot of castle wall.
A horse
Dead at foot of castle wall.
~Stephen Crane
dVerse 
I wrote a poem last year called The Aftermath If you have a sec. check it out.
I believe it goes with this theme
Thank you all.
a very short poem and yet it does both…tells a story and meets us on a deep emotional level… men of honor they were and fighting to protect what they loved dearly… but in the end it’s war in all its cruelty..
Lovely poem, Chris. I have always felt a soft spot for Crane also. I don’t know much about his life, but he is tied for me to heroics. (Whether that’s actually true, I’ve never really known.) Such traumatic times. k.
Love Crane. he was pretty much the first one that got me interested in poetry. My favorite is In the Desert.
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.”
Thanks for the reminder; must pull out my books of his tonight.
Woah! Incredible! Now I must get Crane’s poetry.
This is an ALL TIME favorite of mine. Ranks with the world’s best. Yet, I like many many many came to poetry early by the enticing imagery of Edgar Allen Poe. Found new heroes along the way. Now I lay wreaths at the feet of W.B. Yeats and Wallace Stevens.
Awesome share that will lead me to digging deeper! Thanks Chris…and sorry I’m late!
The world of poetry is amazing as I’m getting to know it through you and dVerse. Thank you.
the power of this poem is in its brevity for me – and the turn of phrase, the “Steel men”, “riot of silver lights” – the whole final snippet – the horse forgotten, then dead – I liked it, shall check out more by him! cheers
dang that is a hard end to the tale…and it leaves one to wonder at the rest…nice one this week chris….
So maybe what we’ve come to term “dark poetry” is just truth. No more happy endings, no more fairytales…
Thank you Chris for this. It has added a dimension to my own thinking about men and war. Crane has revealed his heart here without any sentimentality. It has been helpful for me to see this.
Chris, I think the “Red Badge of Courage” is one of the most humanizing novels I have ever read. As a young teen it tought me that there can be a difference between what we want to become and what we do become, that somewhere amidst hopes and dreams lies the reality of our limitations. Shame on me, I didn’t know that Stephen Crane was a poet also…… Thank you for that…..
I love Stephen Crane. His short stories are to my mind the best of the genre. His poems aren’t too shabby either yet I’d never read this one and I like it very much. If any of you have missed “The Blue Hotel” I recommend it. I also think he was without equal in creating new symbolism and using old ones. His use of color in all his work is stunning.
I have long admired Crane’s poetic writing. Perhaps writing across multiple genre increases one’s creative vision … hmmm, Mr. Journalist? 😉