There Was a Great Cathedral
There Was a Great Cathedral - meaning Summary
Authority Exposed by Fear
Stephen Crane presents a brief scene in which a ceremonial procession and a proud leader are set in a cathedral. The poem contrasts public dignity with private fear: the chief man outwardly commands respect while inwardly recoiling and glancing toward perceived threats from the past. The image suggests how authority and ritual can mask vulnerability and unresolved history, leaving causes of the leader’s anxiety deliberately ambiguous.
Read Complete AnalysesThere was a great cathedral. To solemn songs, A white procession Moved toward the altar. The chief man there Was erect, and bore himself proudly. Yet some could see him cringe, As in a place of danger, Throwing frightened glances into the air, A-start at threatening faces of the past.
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