Stephen Crane is my homie

A man said to the universe:
"Sir, I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"That fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."

I think that may be my favorite poem of all time. It's got several things going for it: it's a little cynical; it's a lotta Naturalist; and it's funny as hell. 3 for 3 ain't bad at all. Naturalism is my favorite epoch of American literature, as it contains many of my own views on the world.

To put it simply, Naturalist writers' message was thus: Life sucks, but the forces controlling everything (God) are beyond our comprehension (though we certainly try, and with good reason), so you might as well get used to it, and, if possible, laugh a little. That's why I see humor in everything. Everybody takes everything so damn seriously, and never just stop and laugh at the sheer absurdity of it all.

I often wonder if people just never take take the time to appreciate the inherent humor that is the universe, or if they just don't get the joke. Everyone goes through life setting up the greatest joke ever told, but they never listen hard enough to hear the punchline.