Stephen Crane — The Poet and the Writer

Born November 1st, 1871 in Newark, New Jersey, Stephen Crane is an American novelist, poet, and short-story writer who is popularly known for famous novels such as Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893), The Red Badge of Courage (1895), and many more. Stephen’s father Jonathan Crane, a minister died in 1880, leaving Stephen, the youngest of his children to be raised by their strong-minded mother.

After attending preparatory school, Stephen went on to spend 2 years at college. Later, he moved to New York City and lived in a boarding house for medical students while freelancing his way to a career in literature.

Stephen wrote the first book of his career in 1893 named Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. This book is a reflection of an innocent and abused slum girl, which follows her descent into the seedy world of prostitution.

First Fame

To the surprise of most enthusiasts, Crane published his first book under a pseudonym. He struggled as an unknown freelance journalist until he made the acquaintance of Hamlin Garland.

Soon after, he released his second novel, The Red Badge of Courage, and the first book of his poems, The Black Riders, and Other Lines, which brought him international fame. The Red Badge of Courage is an impressionistic study of a young soldier who is trying to understand his experiences on the battlefield.

Personal Life

In 1897, Crane met Cora Taylor, the owner of the infamous Hotel de Dream, a provocative guest house that featured a nightclub and brothel. As a common-law couple, they moved together to England, although, he was becoming progressively unwell. While living in England, Stephen bonded with literary peers Joseph Conrad, H. G. Wells, and Henry James.

He continued writing fiction to earn money and fulfill his creative interests. Before long, he reported for duty in New York during the Spanish-American War, an assignment he welcomed as an escape from the debts he and Cora had accumulated.

By 1900, Crane’s lifestyle had taken a toll on his body, as his health steadily declined. After several bouts of respiratory failure, Crane died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-eight.

Some Opinions On Him

Although Crane reached the height of his success with The Red Badge of Courage, critics seem to agree that some of his best works were in the short story genre. His most acclaimed short stories include: “The Open Boat,” “The Blue Hotel,” and “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky.”

His Most Popular Poems:

Behold the grave of a wicked man

I saw a man pursuing the horizon

In heaven

In the desert

A man said to the universe

Once there came a man

Should the wide world roll away

I Explained the silver the passing of a ship at night

His Struggle

Stephen Crane had fought a desperate battle against time, illness, and exposure from his years in the Bowery area and as a work correspondent in the country of Cuba. His almost deliberate disregard for his health conditions likely accelerated the disease that killed him at a very early age.

Conclusion

Considered as one of America’s foremost realistic writers of his time, Stephen Crane has been credited with marking the beginning of the age of modern American naturalism in terms of literature.

The civil war novel The Red Badge of Courage is considered an American literature classic, that realistically depicts the psychological complexities, and the fear and courage of soldiers on the battlefield. Despite being one of the most successful novelists of his time Stephen Crane suffered from a serious illness that ultimately ended the life of one of the most popular writers of the late 19 century.

Thanks for reading!

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