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A Learned Man Came At Me Once By Stephen Crane

Decent Essays

“A Learned Man Came to Me Once” (Stephen Crane)
A learned man came to me once.
He said, “I know the way, — come.”
And I was overjoyed at this.
Together we hastened.
Soon, too soon, were we
Where my eyes were useless,
And I knew not the ways of my feet.
And I clung to the hand of my friend;
But at last he cried, “I am lost.”

Searching for Meaning in a Meaningless System This poem dramatizes the conflict that arises when an individual seeks to find meaning in life. It attempts to uncover the supposed illusion that knowledge produces answers. The speaker begins in a subconscious state of inferiority and loneliness when a man of great understanding comes to give him advice and to show him the way to find hope. The speaker experiences an extreme joy to have a man of such great knowledge come alongside him to help to navigate life’s journey. Quickly the peculiar pair begins to run forward, but: “Soon, too soon, were we / Where my eyes were useless” (5-6). Realizing that he is now completely lost and fully dependent on the mercy of his learned guide, the speaker continues to grasp the hand of his supposed saviour. In the final line the speaker hears his newly found friend and only source of life cry out in emotionless tone: “I am lost” (9). In this way, the speaker understands and declares the despair and emptiness of trusting in human knowledge as a way to understanding life. Ultimately, the poet uses the speaker to state his personal worldview of nihilism. The poet’s

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