Can anyone tell me the meaning of this poem? When the prophet...by Stephen Crane?

Question

here's the poem

When the prophet, a complacent fat man,

Arrive at the mountain-top

He cried: "Woe to my knowledge!

I intended to see good white lands

And bad black lands-

But the scene is gray."

It reminded me of the bible verse in Revelation 3:15-16 talking about church's being hot, cold, or lukewarm.

If you could tell me what you think the poem is trying to say, it would help me out a lot! Thanks!

Answer 1

Arriving at the mountain top is a metaphor for enlightenment.  

People seek enlightenment because they want to see the world in sharp focus, especially to be able to tell good from bad.  But once they get there they realize that things are a lot more complicated than they thought.  We all like to think of the world as black and white, good vs. evil, but the more we actually learn about it, the less we find this is true.  It's just a lot more complicated than that.