A Man Feared That He Might Find an Assassin;

A Man Feared That He Might Find an Assassin; - meaning Summary

Fear and Moral Perspective

Crane presents a compact paradox about fear and moral stance. Two men dread opposite outcomes: one fears encountering an assassin, the other fears encountering a victim. The closing line judges one wiser without naming which, prompting readers to weigh self-preservation against ethical responsibility. The poem compresses a moral choice into a single image, suggesting that the object of one’s fear reveals one’s character and practical wisdom.