The Logic of Metaphor
Crane had this idea called the "logic of metaphor." It basically meant that metaphors had their own kind of logic or sense that was different from normal logic. This was almost like his insurance policy against people saying, "Crane! Your metaphors are too crazy! You're not making sense!" He could just respond, "Tut tut! My metaphors make their own logic!" You can see this logic at work in Stanza 2, for example, when the disappearing seagull becomes the white sail of a boat, which then becomes a page of sales figures.