Wednesday, February 14, 2018

101 Books, Number 40



40: The Red Badge of Courage, 1895, by Stephen Crane (1871–1900) 

Okay, at first I read the comic book* 
Before I read that full-length text. 
But just remember: Every cook 
Reads recipes—and food comes next. 

I loved the story, from the first— 
A kid, I often played at war. 
What’s not to love? I thought. The burst 
Of cannon! Storming of a distant shore! 

But I grew older, read the work 
Of Crane—yes, every book he wrote. 
And in his paragraphs would lurk 
A very understated vote 

Against all war—and what it means. 
Oh, readers have a task to do— 
Consider all the in-betweens— 
And see the author’s total view. 

I’ve traveled to the homes of Crane**— 
The graveyard where he now must lie.*** 
I think of what he helped explain— 
And grieve, again, such artists die.

*Classics Illustrated 
**Port Jervis, NY; Asbury Park, NJ; June 8, 2004
***Evergreen Cemetery; Hillside, NJ; June 9, 2004

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