One Man Army

A single man,
Against the heavens and against all odds,
Wishful thinking, wishful prayers;
None got through to him.

Marked by all; as a devil spawn,
Forced to roam the world alone.
Singled out and hated by,
All, but a kindred soul.

Fortunes never on their side,
That single comfort, torn away.
Alas! For all he ever yearned,
Went in vain with her demise.

So there he stood,
A lone man, with no kin to call his own.
With not a single thought of reason left,
But a longing for blood.

A single quest; to carry out,
To battle against the heavens,
And tear the world asunder;
For, there stood a man with fire in his eyes.

Author's Note

All reviews are appreciated

Reviews

[JayG]

This pretty well exemplified your approach to poetry. And I have mixed feelings. While I often agree with the sentiment, I often feel that you're leaving more to intent than a reader can handle.

The final line in S1, for example, is meaningful if the reader knows your intent. But to me, the question is, do you mean in the sense of physically reaching him, or changing his mind? Since we don't know your intent the entire stanza seems to lack context.

I have a problem with someone who seems a dreamer in S1 being called "Devil's spawn" in S2, because the overall envelope of backstory, ambiance, etc, isn't hinted at. So when you say, "Fortunes never on their side," there's nothing to indicate who "they" are.

I am not a poetry guru, especially in the area of blank verse. So my suggestion is pretty much the one I would give were this fiction, which is to place yourself in the viewpoint of a reader who has knowledge of nothing the words don't imply, and must base their understanding on their own interpretation of the words, as their background and experience suggests. And since that background will probably differ from yours, it's best to be certain they will always have context, and thus be on a self-guiding trail.

[Willard Wells]

For century men have gone to war as their woman wait behind, but the blood is what drives them on. Love them in battle and war, but let the war end and he is alone and not wanted anymore.

Soldiers are our salvation until the war is done and then we hide them away with all their pain until we need them again. Every soldier has a team, but in the end when standing in battle he will be alone.

Well done. Next to last stanza "But the only longing for blood." to "But he only longs for blood."

[KingDavid]

Thank you for your help. I knew there was something wrong there, but I just couldn't place it. Many thanks. ^_^

[A hare off]

quite good, a medieval feel runs through this, a single man against all odds, vengance for a lost love . I like how this remains dark though there is a light and he is following it.

[KingDavid]

Thank you for the review. Yes, a medievial fantasy was what I had in mind. I was first thinking of a novel but then I realized, with my patience, a poem would be better. Lol