Five Stephen Crane Poems

Song Cycle by David Sisco

1. A man said to the universe  [sung text not yet checked]

A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."

Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

2. I saw a man pursuing the horizon  [sung text not yet checked]

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]1,
"You can never -- "

"You lie," he cried,
And ran [on]2.

Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Lindsay: "I said, "It is futile,""
2 Lidnsay: "on and on"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

3. There was a man with a tongue of wood  [sung text not yet checked]

There was a man with tongue of wood
Who essayed to sing,
And in truth it was lamentable.
But there was one who heard
The clip-clapper of this tongue of wood
And knew what the man
Wished to sing,
And with that the singer was content.

Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

4. The wayfarer  [sung text not yet checked]

The wayfarer,
Perceiving the pathway to truth,
Was struck with astonishment.
It was thickly grown with weeds.
"Ha," he said,
"I see that none has passed here
In a long time."
Later he saw that each weed
Was a singular knife.
"Well," he mumbled at last,
"Doubtless there are other roads."

Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

5. I stood upon a high place  [sung text not yet checked]

I stood upon a high place,
And saw, below, many devils
Running, leaping,
and carousing in sin.
One looked up, grinning,
And said, "Comrade! Brother!"

Authorship:

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 183