'A Steetcar Named Desire'

[mcguire88]

What is the meaning of the lines from Hart Crane's poem 'The Broken Tower' at the foreward of the play?

'And so it was I entered the broken world
To trace the visionary company of love, its voice
An instant in the wind [I know not whither hurled]
But not for long to hold each desperate choice'

Any help would be appreciated -- point me in the direction of a useful website or something

[Litchick]

The only thing I can come up with is that each character's choices profoundly impact the others...for instance, Stanely's CHOICE to humiliate and mentally torture Blanche greatly adds to her desperation and in turn forces her to crave even more attention and approval.  Stanely's wife's character greatly contributes to Stanley's behaviour....etc., etc...so perhaps Williams found those things in this poem.

[thisisdull]

Blanch, desperate for romance (idealistic love), enters the world of love when she moves in with Stella and Stanley. There she finds that this world is a broken world and not an idealistic one. Even in love difficult choices have to be made and Stella chooses to love Stanley even though he beats her and mentally and physically raped her sister.