Metaphors In Spoon River

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 bus stop at the end of the weekend, he went home to write “The Hill,” which is the opening of Spoon River Anthology, as well as a couple of the epitaphs. Masters has said that the creation of the Spoon River Anthology was a way for him to cope with

a situation as well as a way to reflect on his psychological encounter of the town. As a result of Masters’ nonstop writing, the epitaphs were created rapidly, which, according to Masters, became effortless. Yet after a while, writing had taken a toll on Masters’ emotions, for the characters had begun to reflect his internal conflicts. While writing about the dead, Masters began to feel a somewhat haunting sensation of being watched by protesters. He would often enter a dreamlike state after writing for long periods of time. The epitaphs had become a figurative death of Masters’ psychological state. Certain poems in the anthology reflect Master’s activities of the day. For example, after watching a symphony of Beethoven, the poem “Isaiah Beethoven” was created. Masters had entered an emotional state of mind while writing the Spoon River Anthology, which resulted in the display of human nature, such as carelessness, love, hatred, and jealousy, throughout the epitaphs. Through the poems or epitaphs “Lucinda Matlock,” “Clifford Ridelle,” and “Hod Putt” from Spoon River Anthology, Edgar Lee Masters demonstrates many aspects of human emotions and nature.
Carelessness and love are the first examples of human emotions in Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, which are found in the poem “Lucinda Matlock.” The poem begins with Lucinda explaining her past life.

In lines one through five of the poem, Lucinda explains the activities she participated in before she had met Davis, her future husband: “I went to the dances at Chandlerville/ And played snap-out at Winchester./ One time we changed partners/ Driving home in the moonlight of middle June,/ And then I found Davis.” (Masters, Edgar Lee. "Lucinda Matlock."). Lucinda’s past life consists of stay out late at the dances and the games in town. This reflects her fun and carefree attitude before marriage, which is one of the many human emotions shown throughout the poem. Her buoyant attitude is not negative nor positive, but instead highlights her youthfulness before marriage. The poem takes an abrupt turn when she meets her future husband David. This abruptness draws light to her sudden change from being single to being married ("Explanation: ‘Lucinda Matlock’”) Her encounter with David displays the human emotion love towards her future significant other. Lucinda Matlock and her husband Davis live a standard, traditional life, which she lives without any complaints: “The life story, particularly in the absence of any apparent conflict, presents Lucinda as a woman who accepted, with pleasure when possible, accepted all aspects of her life as it unfolded” ("Explanation: ‘Lucinda Matlock’”) She naturally lives her life to the fullest and embraces it. Lucinda Matlock’s love for nature is seen in lines eleven through fifteen: “I made the garden, and for holiday/ Rambled over the fields where sang the larks,/ And by Spoon River gathering many a shell,/ And many a flower and medicinal weed--/ Shouting to the wooded hills, singing to the green valleys” (Masters, Edgar Lee. "Lucinda Matlock."). As she begins to speak about her connection with nature, the poem relates nature to

music. Some may even argue this section of the poem itself has a more lyrical tone, which acts as a “song” or praise to nature. There is also mention of medical weeds, which refers back to her traditional and simple life ("Explanation: ‘Lucinda Matlock’”). Lucinda Matlock lives a long and fulfilling life. She even welcomes the nature of death: “At ninety-six I had lived enough, that is all,/ And passed to a sweet repose./ What is this I hear of sorrow and weariness,/ Anger, discontent and drooping hopes?/ Degenerate sons and daughters,/ Life is too strong for you--/ It takes life to love Life.” (Masters, Edgar Lee. "Lucinda Matlock."). She believes she has lived all she needs to, and is able to die peacefully and content. Lucinda Matlock accepts her life and death as it is: “Lucinda apparently died as she had lived, with strength and determination. She does not quarrel with, but accepts, maybe chooses death. Line 16, because it follows the song to nature, may also suggest death as a part of nature” ("Explanation: ‘Lucinda Matlock’”). Lucinda Matlock dies at the age of ninety-six. Because of her deep connection with nature, she happily accepts death. She has a peaceful death and even relates it to a serene rest. Her poem wraps up with her belief that the love of one’s life is up to he or she ("Explanation: ‘Lucinda Matlock’.”). In the poem “Lucinda Matlock,” The overall message of this poem is that a simplistic life can be fulfilling. Masters uses many aspects of human nature through Lucinda’s premarital carelessness and love of her family and nature.
Self-hate, rebellion, and hopefulness are human emotions shown in Spoon River Anthology through the poem “Clifford Ridelle.” Some say Clifford Ridelle’s epitaph is seemingly irrelevant, yet once looked into it shows many secrets of the character: “Read philosophically, the poem is insignificant; read psychologically, it is considerably more revealing.” (Hurt). The psychological torment of Clifford Ridelle is often overlooked when read philosophically. Throughout his epitaph, Clifford Ridelle talks about a certain “it,” which he refers to it as an unyielding and unforgiving force: “Nothing outside of it, / Boundless and filling all space./ At one with itself, being all,/ And bent to no will but its own.” (Masters, Edgar Lee. "Clifford Ridelle."). This “it” is never properly identified, but instead it is left up to the reader’s imagination: “What is the subject of the speaker's discourse, the referent of “it” in the first line? Is it Life? Reality? The Universe? Creation? There is no way of knowing, and the poem does not make us care very much;” (Masters, Edgar Lee. "The Genesis of Spoon River.") Clifford Ridelle’s epitaph reveals his self-loathing which is a result of his torment hinted from the beginning lines of the poem, which suggests he is vulnerable to “it.” The divisions of the “it” are Ridelle’s main source of torment: “However a part of it wars with a part of it./ Disharmony comes from two, not one./ Friendly with itself, for otherwise/ It would perish.” (Masters, Edgar Lee. "Clifford Ridelle."). Because of this disharmony, he became obsessed with looking beyond his torment to a place of unity, which is seen as a craving instead of faith (Hurt). Once nearing the end of the poem, Clifford Ridelle’s epitaph becomes much more personal and less complex:
The last three words of the poem are a startling plunge from the heights of abstract
impersonality into the personal and the dramatic: ‘not even me.’ With these words, we are forced to rethink the entire poem, not as a philosophical generalization, but as a dramatic utterance, an expression by a specific person of his perceptions of the world and of himself. The tone of those last three words is a complex combination of self-loathing and defiance. (Hurt)
From the final line, one can infer many things about him as well as the power and purpose of the “it.” The “it” is able to change him, yet never destroy him. This reveals his vulnerability and his strength. The final line also displays his self-hate and rebellion: “If ‘it’ ever turned to destruction, the first to be destroyed would be ‘me,’ a self which is perhaps especially guilty or especially vulnerable. Mingled with this attitude is a suggestion of defiance, as well, a sense of daring “it” to do its worst and determining not to be destroyed” (Hurt). This shows Ridelle’s confidence and defiance against “it.” The poem “Clifford Ridelle” displays many human emotions such as self-hate, rebellion, and hopefulness.
The last poem displaying human emotions, such as jealousy and greed, in Spoon River Anthology is “Hod Putt.” Hod Putt is a man who grows tired and jealous of his rich neighbor, Old Bill Piersol. Bill acquires money in an unlawful way: “Who grew rich trading with the Indians, and who/ Afterwards took the bankrupt law/ And emerged from it richer than ever.” (Masters, Edgar Lee. "Hod Putt."). Hod Putt becomes angry and jealous, because Old Bill Piersol grows rich from illegal trade. Hod Putt understands trading with Indians is wrong; therefore, Hod Putt’s built-up anger results in him making some substantial mistakes: “Myself grown tired of toil and poverty/ And beholding how Old Bill and others grew in wealth,/ Robbed a traveler one night near Proctor’s Grove,/ Killing him unwittingly while doing so,” (Masters, Edgar Lee. "Hod Putt."). Hod Putt is weary of being underprivileged, so he decides to get his revenge on a traveler, while killing him accidentally. Because Hod Putt murders the traveler, he is tried and hanged. Towards the end of the poem, Hod Putt is seemingly happy with himself, despite his death. This has a sense of irony to it, because although Hod Putt searches for justice he commits heinous act of injustice. Hod Putt had suffered bankruptcy in a different way, besides actually being penniless. This poem ultimately teaches a lesson about justice vs injustice. Hod Putt plans to get revenge on those who cheat for money, yet he is killed instead. “Hod Putt” displays many characteristics of human nature including jealousy and greed.
Aspects of human nature and emotions are exhibited throughout Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters, especially in “Lucinda Matlock,” “Clifford Ridelle,” and “Hod Putt.” Lucinda Matlock shows emotions of carelessness before her married life and love of nature and her family. Clifford Ridelle shows characteristics of self-hate, rebellion, and hopefulness due to his torment of the unknown “It.” Hod Putt shows his emotions by his jealousy and greed of his neighbor’s wealth. Through these poems and characters the readers can learn about the importance of life experiences before death. Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters continues to provide readers with an understanding of the stories of the deceased through the narratives of the people of Spoon River.