Stephen Crane

Upon the Road of My Life

Upon the Road of My Life - meaning Summary

Deeds Unmasked as Vanity

The poem describes a traveler on life's road who meets radiant, veiled figures presented as good deeds. Curious, he forcibly unveils one and discovers it is vanity rather than genuine virtue. The brief narrative exposes self-deception and the gap between appearance and moral reality, ending with the speaker’s self-reproach for hastily exposing and misjudging what he sought. Tone is ironic and introspective.

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Upon the road of my life, Passed me many fair creatures, Clothed all in white, and radiant. To one, finally, I made speech: "Who art thou?" But she, like the others, Kept cowled her face, And answered in haste, anxiously, "I am good deed, forsooth; You have often seen me." "Not uncowled," I made reply. And with rash and strong hand, Though she resisted, I drew away the veil And gazed at the features of vanity. She, shamefaced, went on; And after I had mused a time, I said of myself, "Fool!"

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