The Tortured Life of Hart Crane

A detailed Summary of The Tortured Life of Hart Crane

Hart Crane was a poetic genius who was driven, and hampered, by his self-destructive personality. His alcoholism, sexual excesses and volatile behavior gave him the illusion of personal stability and lead to his greatest poems, but also brought his tragic doom. Crane's poems, though not always autobiographical, can be understood by looking at the occurrences in his turbulent life. Crane acted as his own worst enemy. The feeling, mood, style and form of Crane's poems mirrored his many mood swings. While his moods were ever-changing, the central issue of his career always remained the composition of his novel-length poem, "The Bridge."

Hart Crane's poetry rarely documented his biography, but his poems can be best understood by examining the events of his life. "Crane was a confirmed drunkard, suffering attacks of delirium tremens ... irritable, depressed, unhappy ... and unable to sleep" (Thompson, 18). His poems don't chronicle these events, but his poetry reflects a tortured being who was a victim of his own personality, history, and lifestyle. Crane lived a frightened childhood. His mother was monstrous, his father callous, and together they were horrendous. These family troubles affected his mindset from his ch

Hart Crane was one of his time's greatest poets. His lack of self-control lifted his poems with a unique style, but also weighed down his career. Hart Crane's volatile personality gave life to several remarkable poems, including "The Bridge," but also took his very life in the end.

Correspondence. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California

Crane, Hart and Logan, John. White Buildings. New York: Liveright. 1985.

Times Book Review. 27 March 1927. 2-3.

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Approximate Word count = 1334
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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