Forth Went the Candid Man
Forth Went the Candid Man - meaning Summary
Bluntness Invites Consequences
The poem follows a candid man whose plain speech carries him into strange situations. He speaks to the wind and the stars, becomes disoriented, and incurs criticism from a learned bystander. He retorts that the critic is too candid, then strikes, his stick splitting into two. The brief narrative links frankness, social rebuke, and a sudden escalation from speech to physical action, suggesting consequences and transformation of intent.
Read Complete AnalysesForth went the candid man And spoke freely to the wind -- When he looked about him he was in a far strange country. Forth went the candid man And spoke freely to the stars -- Yellow light tore sight from his eyes. "My good fool," said a learned bystander, "Your operations are mad." "You are too candid," cried the candid man, And when his stick left the head of the learned bystander It was two sticks.
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