Once I saw mountains angry by Stephen Crane


Once I saw mountains angry,

And ranged in battle-front.

Against them stood a little man;

Aye, he was no bigger than my finger.

I laughed, and spoke to one near me,

"Will he prevail?"

"Surely," replied this other;

"His grandfathers beat them many times.

"Then did I see much virtue in grandfathers --

At least, for the little man

Who stood against the mountains.


There is little use of figurative language throughout the poem as it focuses on the content of the poem.

"Mountains angry" is a form of personification, in which the mountains are given a human emotion anger to show their fury and their desire for battle.

"the little man" is a form of symbolism, in which he symbolises courage to show that anyone, even if small, can possess it.

"he was no bigger than my finger" is a form of hyperbole, in which the little man's size is exaggerated to show how small the odds are of him defeating the mountains.

The reason I like this poem is how the story is simple yet captivating. There is a small person who is actually standing up against the tall mountains. The author ridicules him for his foolish act. But then, he realised something after hearing the story about the little man and his grandfathers, that the young man had something many lacked-courage. The young man actually was brave enough and peace-loving to try and stop the war and also continue the legacy of those who came before him. All with just his small size. It helps to reflect if people have the virtue in them or are just cowards.