Once There Came a Man
Once There Came a Man - meaning Summary
Order Versus Human Freedom
The poem presents a simple premise: a man asks that all people be arranged in rows and this request provokes worldwide conflict. Resistance and desire for order both escalate into prolonged violence, harming those who oppose and those who embrace the arrangement. The originator dies sorrowful while the combatants fail to grasp the request's basic simplicity. The poem sketches how a minor demand can expose deep divisions and tragic human stubbornness.
Read Complete AnalysesOnce there came a man Who said, "Range me all men of the world in rows." And instantly There was terrific clamour among the people Against being ranged in rows. There was a loud quarrel, world-wide. It endured for ages; And blood was shed By those who would not stand in rows, And by those who pined to stand in rows. Eventually, the man went to death, weeping. And those who staid in bloody scuffle Knew not the great simplicity.
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