by Stephen Crane (1871 - 1900)
A spirit sped
Language: English
A spirit sped Through spaces of night; And as he sped, he called, "God! God!" He went through valleys Of black death-slime, Ever calling, "God! God!" Their echoes From crevice and cavern Mocked him: "God! God! God!" Fleetly into the plains of space He went, ever calling, "God! God!" Eventually, then, he screamed, Mad in denial, "Ah, there is no God!" A swift hand, A sword from the sky, Smote him, And he was dead.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Stephen Crane (1871 - 1900), no title, appears in The Black Riders and Other Lines, no. 68, first published 1895 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ulysses Simpson Kay (1917 - 1995), "A spirit", published 1972 [ SATB chorus and instrumental ensemble (13 instruments) ], from Stephen Crane Set [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2004-02-09
Line count: 22
Word count: 75