A Hero and a Great Man — Context and Discussion

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In Category - Historical Psychological Social Fiction

Authors: Kruckvich, Francis Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2004 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Poetry; Stories in rhyme Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 5,968

Reading time 26 min

Text sections 1

Before opening A Hero and a Great Man — Context and Discussion, the edition data offers a quick orientation: 5,968 words, 26 min estimated reading time, and 1 detected text section.

The text analysis averages about 15.1 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Poetry,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #13075

A verse narrative contrasting a boastful public figure with a reclusive thinker, exploring ambition, simplicity, and perception through rhyme and moral aphorism.

Editorial Edition Score 4.4/5

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Description quality20 pts
Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
Chapters / structure15 pts
EPUB file integrity20 pts

Total of 100 points, scaled to a 2.5-5.0 range. Editions with an empty description or a missing EPUB file are not scored.

Edition quality

File: pg13075

Read the Text

Who was being deceived? The freak felt some dismay. The great man the girls believed. And the freak just walked away.

It seemed childish to contest. He saw no reason to fight. He thought best not to protest. Both of their answers were right.

Over time the great man grew To earn a great mans reputation. His words would cause much ado And even some speculation.

A few weeks quickly went by During which time came a threat. No rain had fallen from the sky, But the ground seemed to be wet. _________________________________________________________________

Water trickled like blood from a gash. Soon the streets turned to mud. People could not walk without a splash. There was fear that the town would flood.

Slowly, this problem would develop. The water would continue to run. Eventually, the whole town it would envelop If something was not soon done.

Water does not feel sorrow nor care Wherever it trickles and roams. The people were becoming more aware, For it was soon in their homes.

To the great man the people went For some kind of solution. There must be a way to prevent Any further ground dilution.

The great man promised thus, To you I can assure, For any problem threatening us For sure there is a cure!

I will stop this silly little flood. Upon the great man you can rely. The ground may be covered in mud But, somewhere, must a solution lie!

In his office the great man sat Staring at the water on the floor. He knew not how to deal with that, But he knew there would be more. _________________________________________________________________

Desperately trying to think of a plan He repeatedly read the plaque on the wall, Here is a Great Man He will save us all!

The sparkling water had a sense of beauty As it reflected in the plaque. A painful reminder of his duty, A leader must never slack.

So, eagerly, he donned his heavy boots, And ventured forth for a walk Through a series of muddy routes, For to the people he must talk.

The great man noticed one man solitary As he trekked a turbid trail. To the woods with buckets he did carry In a struggling effort his home to bail.

Though his face he could not see, He knew that this man to be clever and brave. He could not dwell on who it could be For the great man had a town to save.

He thought of the people as his duty required To give them this instruction. By this sight he was inspired To save the town from destruction.

Together we must pull! This I must accent! So each man scooped a bucket full And into the woods with the water they went. _________________________________________________________________

Soon this method had no effect. The water continued to rise. The people were beginning to suspect, This is not where the solution lies.

The great man saw this method would fail But he knew he must not quit. Again he trekked the turbid trail To this problem he did commit.

Then the great man saw a lone man dig A trench in which the water would drop. He dug it deep and he dug it big. Perhaps, in this trench, the water would stop!

He thought of the people, as his duty required To give them this instruction. By this site he was again inspired To save the town from destruction.

We must dig a great ditch In which the water will drop. Into this we all must pitch If the water we are to stop!

A solution to this we must seek. Look to me in your time of need. Though the situation may now look bleak, We will succeed with my lead!

Upon his shoulder, he felt a hand. It was, in fact, the odd man. The great man, at first, did not understand. Then the freak thus began, _________________________________________________________________

You may be great and the people strong, But this wont stop the waters force. This will not work for very long. We must stop it at the source.

The great man let out a great big laugh, And to the odd man he talked down. You think you can speak on the peoples behalf? A great man must save this town! We all share the same concern. Your offer I do appreciate, However, to experience, we must now turn. This issue is too great.

As the great man continued to give his speech The freak had turned and walked away. A solution soon someone must reach No matter what the great man would say.

Soon the town will certainly be Just a huge pool of mud. It is not really hard to see That nothing is stopping this great flood.

Continue Reading →

The story opens with an epigraph from Aesop—'We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office'—immediately framing the work as a moral commentary on power and hypocrisy. The narrative unfolds in rhyming couplets and quatrains, following two contrasting figures: a 'great man' who 'feeds on attention' and a withdrawn 'freak' devoted to thought. The catalog lists this as 'Poetry; Stories in rhyme,' which accurately reflects its verse form, but the excerpts reveal a sustained philosophical dialogue about ambition, simplicity, and the nature of greatness, not merely a lighthearted tale.

Rhyme as a Vehicle for Social Observation

The text is composed entirely in rhymed verse, with a consistent meter that gives the narrative a fable-like cadence. The great man is introduced through repetitive, almost incantatory lines: 'He likes to be seen. / He likes to be heard.' This structural choice reinforces his performative nature. In contrast, the 'freak' is described with more varied syntax and internal rhyme, such as 'His methods were strange and new. / A different world his eyes would see.' The rhyme scheme itself becomes a tool for character differentiation—the great man's sections feel predictable and self-satisfied, while the freak's passages allow for more irregular, thoughtful rhythms.

Two Competing Definitions of Greatness

The narrative explicitly contrasts two models of greatness. The great man is defined by public recognition: 'He is well respected. / He enjoys much recognition. / He hopes to be selected / For a prestigious position.' His need for admiration is presented as a consuming drive: 'As greatness is a need / This need is his fate. / He is as great indeed, / As his need to feel great.' The freak, by contrast, values solitude and thought: 'He values his peace. / He is devoted to thought. / This is his release.' Yet the freak is also searching—'He never felt the peace / That he needed to feel'—suggesting that neither figure fully embodies an ideal.

The Unresolved Question of the Sun

A key episode involves two girls asking the great man, 'Where does the sun go at night?' He cannot answer and 'covertly looked about' for an escape. A passing stranger—the freak—offers an explanation, though the excerpt cuts before his answer is given. This unresolved question functions as a test of knowledge versus performance. The great man's reliance on 'delay' and evasion contrasts with the freak's willingness to engage. The girls later return to comfort the freak, calling the great man 'a great man indeed,' which the freak accepts. The ending leaves the reader to weigh whether the great man's public stature is earned or merely assumed.

Readers should attend to how the verse form shapes the moral argument: the great man's sections often use end-stopped lines and simple rhymes, while the freak's passages employ enjambment and more complex sound patterns. The epigraph from Aesop invites comparison to classical fables, but the work resists a tidy moral—the final line, 'He is a great man indeed,' is spoken by children, leaving its irony or sincerity open to interpretation.

Years among these shelves have taught me how ambition often shouts past the quiet hours that shape a soul. The verse-narrative's boasted hero finds his echo, or perhaps his answer, in Wordsworth's patient meditations—one clamors for the world's eye, the other learns to see without it. Both speak of what we choose to value, though only one invites us to sit a while and listen. The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 3 (of 8) — A Closer Reading holds that quieter conversation, waiting for a reader who already understands.