Edwin Arlington Robinson was a prominent American poet who lived from 1869 to 1935. His poetry is characterized by its intense emotional depth and its focus on the complexities of human relationships.
One of Robinson's most famous poems is "Richard Cory," which tells the story of a wealthy, handsome, and well-respected man who appears to have it all, but ultimately takes his own life. The poem's haunting refrain of "We thought that he was everything / To make us wish that we were in his place" speaks to the societal pressure to strive for success and to present a polished exterior to the world, even at the expense of one's own well-being.
Another notable poem by Robinson is "Miniver Cheevy," which tells the story of a man who is disillusioned with his own life and feels envious of the achievements of others. The poem's titular character is a melancholic figure who longs for the chivalric ideals of a bygone era and feels that he has missed out on the opportunity to live a heroic and fulfilling life.
Robinson's poetry often grapples with themes of loss and disappointment, as well as the enduring human desire for connection and meaning. In "The House on the Hill," he writes about the passing of time and the changes it brings, as the once-grand house on the hill becomes abandoned and forgotten.
One of the most poignant lines in this poem is "They are all gone away, / The House is shut and still, / There is nothing more to say." This line speaks to the finality of death and the sense of loss that comes with it, but also to the enduring memories that remain long after a person or place has passed on.
Overall, Edwin Arlington Robinson's poetry is marked by its emotional depth and its ability to capture the complexities of the human experience. Whether he is writing about the pressure to succeed or the bittersweet passage of time, Robinson's words continue to resonate with readers today.
Merlin by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Let us be Children of the Light, And tell the ages what we are! The morning stars are singing still, To crown, to challenge, and to kill; And if perforce there falls a voice On pious ears that have no choice Except to urge an erring hand To wreak its homage on the land, Who of us that is worth his while Will, if he listen, more than smile? However, the Law has force only if it is animated by something beyond the Law. And others, knowing how this youth Would shine, if love could make him great, When caught and tortured for the truth Would only writhe and hesitate; While she, arranging for his days What centuries could not fulfil, Transmutes him with her faith and praise, And has him shining where she will. Robinson remained in the job until Roosevelt left office. Gradually his literary successes began to mount. Though short, his stay in Cambridge included some of his most cherished experiences, and there he made his most lasting friendships.
He wrote his friend Harry Smith on June 21, 1893: I suppose this is the last letter I shall ever write you from Harvard. Unable to make a living by writing, he got a job as an inspector for the New York City subway system. His brother Dean died of a drug overdose. The grace, divine, definitive, Clings only as a faint forestalling; The laugh that love could not forgive Is hushed, and answers to no calling; The forehead and the little ears Have gone where Saturn keeps the years; The breast where roses could not live Has done with rising and with falling. Medici: rulers of Renaissance Florence known for both a love of scholarship and art, and a penchant for a pitiless use of power.
Far out beyond the forest I could hear The calling of loud progress, and the bold Incessant scream of commerce ringing clear; But though the trumpets of the world were glad, It made me lonely and it made me sad To think that Amaryllis had grown old. He spoke, and went again by the old way— Not knowing it would be for the last time. Instead they exemplify the abuse of the prophetic calling. After the temple police nearly arrest Jesus during the Feast of the Tabernacles, Nicodemus protests to his fellow Pharisees that they have no right to condemn Jesus without a hearing. The most obvious upheavals were the rise of recent immigrants to political power, the shifts in personal morality due to urbanization and affluence, and the widespread application of science and technology.
Lazarus realizes that Jesus came to Bethany not to cure him but to bring him back from the dead. When had I known him? Caiaphas, who knows Nicodemus better than Nicodemus knows himself, warns his visitor that he is deluding himself. The prodigal smoothly demonstrates to his brother that his adventure is a blessing. Gideon believes that he has been called to lead an army against the Midianites. Ballad of Broken Flutes In dreams I crossed a barren land, A land of ruin, far away; Around me hung on every hand A deathful stillness of decay; And silent, as in bleak dismay That song should thus forsaken be, On that forgotten ground there lay The broken flutes of Arcady. Nicodemus has just come from talking to Jesus, evidently not for the first time.
In 1896 he self-published his first book, The Torrent and the Night Before, paying 100 dollars for 500 copies. Now, and with no need of tears, Here they leave me, full of years,-- Leave me to my quiet rest In the region of the blest. Gideon consequently seeks a second sign to confirm the first. Hendricks teaches English at Stevenson University in Maryland. The meeting is mentioned in Acts 28:15, which Robinson quotes as an epigraph.
The Best of Edwin Arlington Robinson: A Collection of 2 Powerful Poems
Miniver Cheevy, born too late, Scratched his head and kept on thinking; Miniver coughed, and called it fate, And kept on drinking. In the leaves that are crinkled and curled Are his ashes of glory, And what once were an end of the world Is an end of a story. Miniver scorned the gold he sought, But sore annoyed was he without it; Miniver thought, and thought, and thought, And thought about it. Camelot: the mythical city of King Arthur's court. To subscribe now, go Between 1919 and 1931, when he was the most popular serious poet in the United States, Edwin Arlington Robinson wrote six narrative poems based on stories in the Bible.
He has come to the end of his words, And alone he rejoices In the choiring that silence affords Of ineffable voices. It is attested by the losses he has suffered for it and his willingness to face death for it in Rome. I would have rid the earth of him Once, in my pride… I never knew the worth of him Until he died. The House on the Hill They are all gone away, The House is shut and still, There is nothing more to say. Edwin returned to Harvard for a second year, but it was to be his last one as a student there.
How Annandale Went Out by Edwin Arlington Robinson
The Long Race Up the old hill to the old house again Where fifty years ago the friend was young Who should be waiting somewhere there among Old things that least remembered most remain, He toiled on with a pleasure that was pain To think how soon asunder would be flung The curtain half a century had hung Between the two ambitions they had slain. Robinson was also awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his Collected Poems 1921 in 1922 and The Man Who Died Twice 1924 in 1925. And he was rich - yes, richer than a king - And admirably schooled in every grace: In fine, we thought that he was everything To make us wish that we were in his place. But for the time being Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are in the dark. To be truly faithful to God is to act out of love, regardless of whether you call yourself a Christian or a Jew.
