“Immortality is not a gift, immortality is an achievement, and only those who strive mighty shall possess it.” (Edgar Lee Masters). In the novel, Spoon River Anthology, by Edgar Lee Masters, the complex lives of the townspeople living in Spoon River are told through a collection of epitaphs belonging to those in the community who have died. The community’s scandals and tragedies live infinitely through their epitaphs, creating a twisting web of scandal, drama, and deception. Throughout the epitaphs, themes of karma, arrogance, and love present themselves, often intertwining with each other. Overall, many townspeople in Spoon River make a multitude of emotion driven choices that ultimately lead to their demise. In the twisted lives of the characters …show more content…
And “A gray-haired magnate /went mad about me so another fortune. “ (Lines 8-9). Throughout her epitaph it becomes known that Dora goes after older, rich men and kills them so that she can inherit their fortunes, allowing her to become rich fast and easily. At the end of her epitaph, she says, “He poisoned me, I think” (Line 20), when talking about her final husband, an unnamed count. Dora’s scandalous lifestyle filled with murder and deceit ultimately comes back to her in the form of karma after she is murdered by her husband for her riches; the same riches that she killed her previous husbands for. Furthermore, the character Butch Weldy, a known criminal and liar, ends up getting a young, outcast girl, Minerva, pregnant. Minerva, in an attempt to terminate her pregnancy, dies and Butch takes no responsibility for his role in her tragic death. In Butch’s epitaph, he talks about his work accident saying, “And I came down with both legs broken.” (Line 12). This incident contrasts that of Minervas, as in her epitaph she describes her death by saying, “And I sank into death, growing numb from the feet up.” (Line …show more content…
Love can influence a person’s choices and views, often captivating their lives in more ways than one, however, so does the absence of love. Minerva Jones let love not only captivate her but kill her, going as far as including, “I thirsted so for love” (Line 11), in her epitaph. When Minerva describes how she was treated by the people of Spoon River she recalls that she was, “Hooted at, jeered at by the yahoos of the street/ For my heavy body, cock-eyed, and rolling walk.” (Lines 2-3). The poor treatment she received from her community is what most likely caused her to thirst so intensely for love, as she did not often receive any from the people surrounding her. Minerva allowed Butch Weldy to take such an advantage over her because she truly did not understand how love worked and let herself become captivated by what she believed was someone showing love. When Minerva fell pregnant she had no one to turn to for help or support, so she made an impulsive decision that caused her to lose her
Everyone wonders what happens when you become deceased. What if you had the chance to write an epitaph for people to remember you by? Everyone in Spoon River had the opportunity to express their feelings, opinions, and views. In Spoon River Anthology, By Edgar Lee Masters: and my favorite life-themed epitaphs included, Lucinda Matlock, Griffy the Cooper, and Decan Taylor. I found Decan’s poem the most interesting, because I wonder how he hid his addiction all those years. Mr. Taylor was a member
whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7 KJV). The book Spoon River Anthology is a collection of epitaphs about people in a small town. The epitaphs tell about a small portion of people and the dark secrets they carry such as affairs, fraud, and manslaughter. Multiple people in the small town of Spoon River have come to find serious consequences for terrible actions they posed onto others. In the book Spoon River anthology, a character that reaps what they caused was a woman named Dora
Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters, has many different themes illustrated throughout the many poems written in the book. One theme that is pictured quite often when reading these poems is, Life. There were many, many poems in Spoon River Anthology that contained Life as the main theme. Lucinda Matlock, The Hill, and Griffy the Cooper, were my three favorite epitaphs that all show this theme. Lucinda Matlock, the first epitaph that the main theme of the poem is Life. She was a woman married
Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology explores small-town American life, expressed through epitaphs written by the deceased residents of Spoon River. In these epitaphs, the townspeople reveal their deepest secrets, regrets, and reflections from beyond the grave, providing a unique perspective to examine how religion, love, and shame shape the actions of the people in Spoon River. Religion functions as a moral compass and source of conflict in Spoon River. The religious beliefs upheld by society
fearful life, in Spoon River Anthology, a variety of themes are introduced and experienced throughout the development of each townspeople, leading to the demise of themselves. The townspeople in Spoon River Anthology fight for superiority to everyone around them in the town. Defending their impulsive actions and arrogant comments to try to look perfect on the outside to hide all the lies and secrets going on
you.” Spoon River Anthology is a collection of epitaphs by Edgar Lee Masters which narrates the lives of people who live in the small town of Spoon River. The epitaphs illustrate the consequences that result from the actions of the inhabitants like “Butch Weldy”, “Minerva”, “Dora Williams”, “Emily Sparks”, and “Mrs. Meyers”. A multitude of experiences drives the choices of numerous townspeople in Spoon River, which consequently leads to their ultimate demise. Religion in the town of Spoon River creates
which is before it, beside it, under it, and over it.” Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters unveils a clandestine community in Spoon River. Truths and secrets are uncovered through epitaphs. Each individual undergoes a life-changing experience, usually tied to another in the story. Strange experiences occur, such as unspeakable accidents or the stripping away of a person’s glory. Various unexpected events cause numerous people in Spoon River to make poor decisions, resulting in their ultimate
Human Emotions in Spoon River Anthology Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters is a collection of epitaphs that reflects the lives of the townspeople of Spoon River. The production of the anthology was a result of a psychological encounter Masters had experienced. Although the crisis is not specified, it began after spending a beautiful weekend in Chicago with his mother in May 1914. During the stay, Masters and his mother had recalled past events and people. After he walked his mother to the
An epitaph is a poem or short story that is dedicated to someone who is deceased. Edgar Lee Masters’ collection of poems located in the book Spoon River Anthology contains over a hundred epitaphs. Each of these poems is named after a person, but only five poems are named after actual people. Masters would take some names from the constitutions and state papers of Illinois and for other names, he would choose a first name from one person and a surname from another. Each story is unique, but many intertwine
their lines, which dictates their origins. The Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters is not anything different in that regard. Every piece of writing has it’s origins and those origins can be not only interesting, but change the way the reader views the writing. This paper will not only discuss the origins of the famous Anthology, but show Edgar Lee Masters’ personal side of the origins and how those instances influenced his writing of The Spoon River Anthology. Edgar Lee Masters was born on August
own turn being in the position we once had someone else in” (Ashley Lorenzana). Spoon River Anthology, written by Edgar Lee Masters, is a collection of epitaphs from a small town that is full of drama and secrets. The epitaphs unveil concealed scandals and betrayals lurking in the lives of these people. The epitaphs are intricately connected than the naked eye sees. The ultimate demise of many citizens in Spoon River is caused by the decisions they make and the way they take advantage of others.
to happen when people create complications among themselves. Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology is a collection of epitaphs from the deceased of the small town of Spoon River, who all read different stories of how their ends came to be. These choices and fates of the residents of Spoon River are driven by a multitude of motives, impacting themselves and others drastically. Certain character epitaphs in Spoon River Anthology exhibit them harming others’ lives in favor of their own. These events
Masters’ Spoon River Anthology is a powerful collection of epitaphs from a small town full of drama and hidden secrets. These epitaphs reveal scandals and betrayals that lie beneath the surface of the townspeople’s lives. They are more connected than one might first notice. The ultimate downfall of many citizens in Spoon River comes from their own choices and their exploitation of others. The actions and decisions of some greedy citizens have a big impact on Spoon River. In the Spoon River Anthology
The famous poet Edgar Lee Masters, uses a collection of short poems in her work "Spoon River Anthology". The Anthology collectively narrates the epitaphs of the residents of Spoon River, a fictional small town named after the real Spoon River that ran near the author's home town. In one of her numerous short poems called "Minerva Jones", I learned that Minerva is a rape victim. With her heavy body, cock-eye, and rolling walk, it drew plenty of attention of the people. But it drew too much attention
responsible for everything in your life.” Edgar Lee Masters's Spoon River Anthology is a collection of epitaphs in which people reveal their secrets after death. Many townspeople’s lives in the town of Spoon River were destroyed by karma. One citizen in the town of Spoon River whose life is destroyed by karma is Dora Williams. She has had several husbands who have mysteriously died, and she inherited their fortunes. She states in her epitaph, “A year passed and one day they found him dead./ That made