The Mind

LII. Why do you strive for greatness, fool

by Stephen Crane 1871–1900

From The Black Riders and Other Lines (1895)

The Mind

Why do you strive for greatness, fool?
Go pluck a bough and wear it.
It is as sufficing.

My lord, there are certain barbarians
Who tilt their noses
As if the stars were flowers,
And thy servant is lost among their shoe-buckles.
Fain would I have mine eyes even with their eyes.

Fool, go pluck a bough and wear it.

MLA

Crane, Stephen. “LII. Why do you strive for greatness, fool.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/crane/51/.

Chicago

Crane, Stephen. “LII. Why do you strive for greatness, fool.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/crane/51/.

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