#A tale in the desert telling free#

This is indicative of human nature and self-destructive behavior.She weeps to see her lover without eyes, but when her tears fall on his face, his sight is magically restored. He stands back and wonders at the scene and asks a question instead. The speaker does nothing to stop the man from eating his own heart. He’s consuming something critical but something he can’t help but take from himself. There is also a greedy element to this poem. He likes consuming it, a suggestion that the creature (standing in as a symbol for the speaker) is enjoying destroying his own life he’s basking in it. By tasting it, the creature realizes the bitterness of his own experience and his own emotional connection to the world. The eating of one’s own heart is an act of self-destruction but also one, it seems, of self-understanding. He had already described the heart as “bitter.” But now, he adds that he likes it because it’s bitter and because it’s his heart. In the final three lines of the poem, the creature’s words are relayed to the reader. Or if the creature is used as a symbol for something the speaker is discovering about himself out in the desert. It’s after these lines that readers might start to consider whether or not the creature is real. He’s able to relate to it in some critical way. He also calls the creature his “friend.” This implies that he feels some kinship with the creature. When he speaks to him, he asks if it’s “good” to eat. There, he finds this creature eating its own heart. The speaker is on a journey of sorts, the reader can infer, through the desert. This takes the poem into the realm of symbolism and metaphor. The creature was “squatting” (a phrase that emphasizes his beast-like nature) and holding his heart in his hands. But, the fact that he finds this “creature” and the details of his conversation with it provides the reader with some information in regard to what’s going on. There’s no information in regard to why the speaker was in the desert or what he was hoping to accomplish there. The speaker is in the desert when he finds a “creature, naked, bestial.” These are the only introductory words that the poet provides. In the first lines of ‘In the Desert,’ the speaker begins by using the line that later came to be used as the title. In this case, the heart represents kindness, goodwill, and the better parts of human nature.

Symbolism: this device allows the poet to imbue objects with meaning.In this case, towards the end of the poem, the word “bitter” is used three times. Repetition: can be seen when the poet repeats a word, phrase, idea, structure, or any other element of their writing.For example, the transition between lines one and two of stanza one as well as lines one and two of stanza two. Enjambment: can be seen when the poet cuts off a line before its natural stopping point.For example, “Held,” “heart,” and “hands” in line four.

Alliteration: occurs when the poet repeats the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.Throughout ‘In the Desert,’ the poet makes use of several literary devices. For instance, line five of the first stanza and line one of the second stanza use the same end word, “it.” Despite this, there are some examples of half-rhymes and exact rhymes in this piece. Without a pattern, readers will have no expectations as they move through the lines. This is fitting for this particular poem due to its unusual and disconcerting subject matter.

#A tale in the desert telling free#

This means that it is written in free verse. The poem does not follow a rhyme scheme or metrical pattern. ‘ In the Desert’ by Stephen Crane is a two- stanza poem that is separated into one set of seven lines and one set of three lines. He’s taking joy, a greedy joy, from the act of consuming a part of himself. The creature responds, saying it’s “bitter,” but he likes it because of this specific taste and because it’s his own heart. Rather than try to stop the creature from engaging in this act of self-destruction, the speaker expresses wonder at the act and asks him whether or not his heart is good. He’s squatting on the ground with his half-eaten heart in his hands. In the first lines of this piece, the speaker comes upon a creature in the desert. ‘ In the Desert’ by Stephen Crane is a provocative and dark poem about greed, human nature, and self-destruction.