--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was wrong to do this,\" said the angel…" description: "\"“It was wrong to do this,\" said the angel. \"You should live like a flower, Holding malice like a puppy, Waging war like a lambkin.\" \"Not so,\" quoth the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a0/stephen-crane-4187_angel_it-was-wrong-to-do-this-said-the-angel-y_1884702.jpg" --- # It was wrong to do this," said the angel. "You should live… ![“It was wrong to do this," said the angel. "You should live like a flower, Holding malice like a puppy, Waging war like a lambkin." "Not so," quoth the man Who had no fear of spirits; "It is only wrong for angels Who can live like the flowers, Holding malice like the puppies, Waging war like the…” quote by Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a0/stephen-crane-4187_angel_it-was-wrong-to-do-this-said-the-angel-y_1884702.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a0/stephen-crane-4187_angel_it-was-wrong-to-do-this-said-the-angel-y_1884702.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a0/stephen-crane-4187_angel_it-was-wrong-to-do-this-said-the-angel-y_1884702.jpg) > ““It was wrong to do this," said the angel. "You should live like a flower, Holding malice like a puppy, Waging war like a lambkin." "Not so," quoth the man Who had no fear of spirits; "It is only wrong for angels Who can live like the flowers, Holding malice like the puppies, Waging war like the lambkins.”” [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Angels paradoxically claim moral superiority while engaging in petty conflicts, highlighting hypocrisy in moral judgments. **In simple terms:** Even holy beings can act like children, contradicting their lofty ideals. Key Takeaway Question the consistency of moral standards. Themes hypocrisy morality conflict spirituality paradox Mood thoughtful ironic Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - religious discourse - literary analysis - personal ethics - social critique Key Concepts angelic symbolism human nature ethical double standards Questions to Reflect On - Do we often judge others while ignoring our own flaws? - What does “war like a lambkin” suggest about innocence? A Different Perspective The poem’s language may be overly allegorical for some readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) [Angels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angels/) [Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crane/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“A man feared that he might find an assassin; Another that he might find a victim. 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When this community comes to the point to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/we-need-to-learn-practice-study-know-and-understand-how-angels-live/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [“Guardian Angels, can't live with them, can't live without them. \* Cole Noella”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chriss-fitzpatrick/guardian-angels-can-t-live-with-them-can-t-live-without-them-cole/) Chriss Fitzpatrick > [The Golden Crane flies for Tarmon Gai'don!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/the-golden-crane-flies-for-tarmon-gai-don/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“-"Death walks, and talks, and occasionally whisks you in a gruesome waltz." -”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-rourke/death-walks-and-talks-and-occasionally-whisks-you-in-a-gruesome-waltz/) [Stacey Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-rourke/) > [Yeah, I've always liked Barbara Crane's stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-ervin-beam/yeah-i-ve-always-liked-barbara-crane-s-stuff/) [Samuel Ervin Beam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-ervin-beam/) > [A falcon who chases a warlike crane can only hope for a life of pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/a-falcon-who-chases-a-warlike-crane-can-only-hope-for-a-life-of-pain/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Don’t do that? This is your sage advice?” “Yeah.” He burped and blew it out the side of his mouth. “Sorry, the burritos we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-calmes/don-t-do-that-this-is-your-sage-advice-yeah-he-burped-and-blew-it-out/) [Mary Calmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-calmes/) ## More by Stephen Crane > [Doubtless there are other roads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/doubtless-there-are-other-roads/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [“She thinks my name is Freddie, you know, but of course it ain't. 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One looked up, grinning, And said, "Comrade!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/i-stood-upon-a-high-place-and-saw-below-many-devils-running-leaping/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [A serious prophet upon predicting a flood should be the first man to climb a tree. This would demonstrate that he was indeed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/a-serious-prophet-upon-predicting-a-flood-should-be-the-first-man-to/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [“A single rifle flashed in a thicket before the regiment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/a-single-rifle-flashed-in-a-thicket-before-the-regiment/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [XXVIII "Truth," said a traveller, "Is a rock, a mighty fortress; "Often have I been to it, "Even to its highest tower, "From whence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/xxviii-truth-said-a-traveller-is-a-rock-a-mighty-fortress-often-have/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [“The lieutenant, returning from a tour after a bandage, produced from a hidden receptacle of his mind new and portentous oaths suited to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/the-lieutenant-returning-from-a-tour-after-a-bandage-produced-from-a/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [“Many a man ought to have a bath-tub larger than the boat which here rode upon the sea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/many-a-man-ought-to-have-a-bath-tub-larger-than-the-boat-which-here/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [“Why—why—” stammered the youth struggling with his balking tongue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/why-why-stammered-the-youth-struggling-with-his-balking-tongue/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [“Eventually, his courage expended itself upon these objections. The debates drained him of his fire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/eventually-his-courage-expended-itself-upon-these-objections-the/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) [Explore all 115 Stephen Crane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) ## More Angel quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [If I wer an angel,i would make all your wishes come true..but I'm only a girl a girl who loves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/if-i-wer-an-angel-i-would-make-all-your-wishes-come-true-but-i-m-only/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Behind my eyelids, I saw him dancing in spirals of coloured light, emerald, blue, and brilliant purple, enfolding him like the wings of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/behind-my-eyelids-i-saw-him-dancing-in-spirals-of-coloured-light/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) > [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [I believe in UFOs, I believe in extraterrestrials, and I believe in angels. And maybe they'll protect all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-believe-in-ufos-i-believe-in-extraterrestrials-and-i-believe-in/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [You should never feel lonely, neglected, fearful, or defeated when you remember that there are the shining ones. 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