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POEMS: Think As I Think |
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| Think as I Think Stephen Crane masterfully encompasses a great deal of thought-provoking material into a five-line poem. In Think as I Think, a man instructs Crane to think as he does or he will not be well liked. The man compares the disgust people will have for Crane to that of a toad. Crane thinks about what the man has said, and in an almost carefree manner, retorts, "I will then, be a toad." (line five). What seems so innocently written reveals a deeper level of thought when closely analyzed. The man who demands that Crane think like him unconsciously reveals a sinister side to Crane that Crane quickly picks up on. If Crane were to be disliked for not thinking like somebody else, and for no other reason but that, what would be the reason to agree with him? The man who threatens Crane is not someone Crane envies. Thus, Crane decides that he would rather be more agreeable than be what the man or others would think of him. The poem's carefree free verse style reflects Crane's attitude in his response to the man's demands. The short, direct answer carries more weight than the man's threat, and Crane's sincerity conveys a more powerful message when contrasted to the man's arrogance. The theme of the poem is that individuality is a more important aspect of an individual than the perception others carry about the individual. In short, who you are is more important that what others think you are. |