The New Poetry
RL 3 Analyze the impact of the
author’s choices regarding how
to develop and relate elements
of a story. RL 6 Analyze a case
in which grasping point of view
requires distinguishing what is
directly stated in a text from what
is really meant. RL 9 Demonstrate
knowledge of how two or more texts
from the same period treat similar
themes or topics.
Richard Cory
Miniver Cheevy
Poetry by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Lucinda Matlock
Poetry by Edgar Lee Masters
Meet the Authors
Edwin Arlington
Robinson
1869–1935
Failure is a familiar subject in the poetry of
Edwin Arlington Robinson, and one the
artist knew well. Robinson wrote poetry
for years before achieving recognition, and
he witnessed family members suffer one
personal defeat after another.
A Difficult Youth His father’s financial
struggles forced Robinson to curtail
his studies at Harvard University. The
family’s fortunes continued to decline
and Robinson’s mother died of diphtheria
in 1896. In addition, he lost both of his
brothers to fatal addictions.
Devotion to His Craft Despite his
tragic past and his own struggles with
Edgar Lee
Masters
When his brilliant portrait of rural life,
Spoon River Anthology, first appeared
in 1915, Edgar Lee Masters became a
literary sensation. Both the general public
and renowned critics embraced the book,
making it an American classic.
1868–1950
The Making of a Poet The book grew out
of Masters’s memories of growing up in
the central Illinois towns of Lewiston and
Petersburg. Living on his grandparents’
farm in Petersburg and in the semiindustrialized Lewiston, Masters acquired
both an appreciation and a distaste for
rural culture. While he admired the
hard work and resilience of rural folk,
alcoholism, Robinson devoted his life to
his craft. Over time he gained a reputation
as one of the country’s most accomplished
narrative poets.
Reflections of the Past Robinson’s best
known poems explore the inner lives of
the citizens of Tilbury Town, a fictional
community modeled on Robinson’s
hometown of Gardiner, Maine.
Many poems grew out of the tragic
experiences of his family and childhood
acquaintances. Often, the poems focus on
individuals who are brought low because
of their own personal failings and the
town’s repressive, materialistic culture.
he despised their small-mindedness
and bigotry. Eventually Masters left
rural Illinois for the big city, residing in
Chicago and New York City.
Literary Masterpiece Masters remains
most famous for his Spoon River Anthology.
In this book, 244 deceased inhabitants of
the fictional town of Spoon River deliver
monologues in which they bare their souls.
The cast of characters is varied, ranging
from prostitutes and thieves to librarians
and Masters’s own grandmother Lucinda,
the model for “Lucinda Matlock.”
Authors
Online
Go to thinkcentral.com.
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text analysis: characterization in
narrative poetry
While most modernist poets turned their efforts to lyric poetry,
Edward Arlington Robinson and Edgar Lee Masters continued
to develop the tradition of narrative poetry, often telling stories
of interesting characters in the context of their communities.
Like fiction, narrative poetry tells a story using elements of plot,
character, and setting. To develop character, poets may adapt
methods of characterization typically used in fiction.
• physical description of the character, including vivid imagery
• the character’s own actions, words, thoughts, and feelings
• comments, thoughts, or actions of other characters
• direct comments about the character by the poem’s speaker
As you read these poems, pay attention to the methods used
by the poet to develop the characters.
Review: Meter
reading skill: analyze speaker’s attitude
In many poems, the speaker has a persona that is distinct
from the poet. It is the speaker’s attitude that shapes our
view of the poem’s subject. In each of the following poems,
a speaker delivers a character sketch; in one case, the speaker
is describing herself. By noticing the details and phrases the
speaker uses to describe the character, we can learn about his
or her attitude not only toward the character but toward life.
To analyze the speaker’s attitude toward the character in
each poem, use a chart like the one shown. As you read, jot
down the details and phrases from each poem that reflect
that attitude. One example has been filled in for you.
What makes
for a
full life?
Everyone wants to be happy, but
happiness comes more easily to some
people than to others. What is the
secret? Some seek happiness in close,
loving relationships. Others pursue
their dreams and try to remain true to
their inner voice. Still others strive for
the comforts of material success and
prosperity. The following poems portray
characters who have met with varying
degrees of success in their search for
contentment.
DISCUSS With a partner, make a list of
some different ways in which people
seek happiness. Which are the most
likely to succeed? Which are the least
likely? After discussing these questions,
present your conclusions to the class.
Details and Phrases Reflecting Speaker’s Attitude
“Richard Cory”
“Miniver Cheevy”
“Lucinda Matlock”
“He was a gentleman from
sole to crown”
Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.
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Richard Cory
Edwin Arlington Robinson
Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored,1 and imperially slim.
5
10
15
And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
“Good-morning,” and he glittered when he walked.
And he was rich—yes, richer than a king—
And admirably schooled in every grace:2
In fine,3 we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head. b
a CHARACTERIZATION
a
Reread lines 1–8. Describe
Richard Cory’s appearance
and manners. What do
you think the speaker
means by “he fluttered
pulses” and “he glittered
when he walked”?
b SPEAKER’S ATTITUDE
Reread lines 11–16.
What contrast does the
speaker draw between
Richard Cory and the
townspeople? How do
they seem to regard him?
1. clean favored: having a tidy appearance.
2. schooled in every grace: extremely well-mannered and cultured.
3. in fine: in short.
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Sir Philip Sassoon (1923), John Singer
Sargent. Oil on canvas, 95.2 cm x
57.8 cm. Tate Gallery, London. ©
Tate Gallery, London/Art Resource,
New York.
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Miniver
Cheevy
Edwin Arlington Robinson
Miniver Cheevy, child of scorn,
Grew lean while he assailed1 the seasons;
He wept that he was ever born,
And he had reasons.
5
10
15
Miniver loved the days of old
When swords were bright and steeds
were prancing;
The vision of a warrior bold
Would set him dancing. c
Miniver sighed for what was not,
And dreamed, and rested from his labors;
He dreamed of Thebes and Camelot,
And Priam’s neighbors.2
Miniver mourned the ripe renown
That made so many a name so fragrant;
He mourned Romance, now on the town,
And Art, a vagrant.
Reading in a Study, Walt Louderback. Oil on plywood, 76.2 cm × 59.7 cm. Private
collection. Photo © Bridgeman Art Library.
c
METER
Reread lines 1–8. In each
stanza, which line has a
meter that stands out
from the others? What
emphasis is achieved by
this change in rhythm?
d CHARACTERIZATION
3
20
Miniver loved the Medici,
Albeit4 he had never seen one;
He would have sinned incessantly
Could he have been one. d
Reread lines 9–20.
Identify the primary
means of characterization
in these lines. What is the
main trait conveyed here?
1. assailed: attacked violently, in this case with words.
2. Thebes (thCbz) . . . Camelot . . . Priam’s (prFPEmz) neighbors:
Thebes was an ancient Greek city, the setting of many famous
legends; Camelot was the site of King Arthur’s legendary court;
Priam’s neighbors were participants in the Trojan War, during
which Priam was king of Troy.
3. Medici (mDdPE-chC): a powerful Italian family that funded the
arts and ruled Florence, sometimes with cruel and immoral
leaders, during the Renaissance.
4. albeit (ôl-bCPGt): even though.
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Language Coach
Word Definitions To eye
something means “to look
at something closely.” In
line 22, why is Miniver
eyeing the khaki suit with
loathing?
Miniver cursed the commonplace
And eyed a khaki suit with loathing;
He missed the medieval grace
Of iron clothing. e
25
Miniver scorned the gold he sought,
But sore annoyed was he without it;
Miniver thought, and thought, and thought,
And thought about it.
e
SPEAKER’S ATTITUDE
Identify the irony in lines
23–24. What does this
irony suggest about the
speaker’s attitude toward
Miniver’s love of the
medieval?
f
METER
How does the last line
of the poem change
your understanding of
Miniver? Recall your
earlier analysis of the
poem’s meter, and explain
its effect in this stanza.
ate
30
Miniver Cheevy, born too late,
Scratched his head and kept on thinking;
Miniver coughed, and called it fate,
And kept on drinking. f
Text Analysis
1. Recall What is the townspeople’s initial impression of
Richard Cory?
2. Recall Why does Miniver Cheevy claim to be unhappy?
3. Compare Texts What is similar about the ways the two
poems end? In each case, how do the last two lines
change your view of the character?
miniver cheevy
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Lucinda
Matlock
Edgar Lee Masters
5
10
15
20
Detail of Cowboy Dance (mural study, Anson, Texas, post office) (1941),
Jenne Magafan. Oil on fiberboard. Photo © Smithsonian American Art
Museum, Washington, D.C./Art Resource, New York.
I went to the dances at Chandlerville,
And played snap-out1 at Winchester.
One time we changed partners,
Driving home in the moonlight of middle June,
And then I found Davis.
We were married and lived together for seventy years,
Enjoying, working, raising the twelve children,
Eight of whom we lost
Ere I had reached the age of sixty.
I spun, I wove, I kept the house, I nursed the sick,
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.
At ninety-six I had lived enough, that is all,
And passed to a sweet repose.2
What is this I hear of sorrow and weariness,
Anger, discontent and drooping hopes?
Degenerate3 sons and daughters,
Life is too strong for you—
It takes life to love Life. h
Analyze Visuals
What qualities do you
sense in the dancers
portrayed in this
painting? Do you find
them to have anything
in common with Lucinda
Matlock? Explain.
g CHARACTERIZATION
g
Reread lines 1–15.
What does the
speaker’s behavior
reveal about her?
h SPEAKER’S ATTITUDE
Whom do you think the
speaker is addressing in
lines 18–22? How does
she seem to feel about
them? Explain.
1. snap-out: a game in which players join hands in a line, then run about trying to
shake off those at the end of the line.
2. repose: here, the peaceful sleep of death.
3. degenerate (dG-jDnPEr-Gt): showing a decline in vigor or moral strength.
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After Reading
Comprehension
1. Recall What pleasures and sorrows did Lucinda Matlock experience in her life?
2. Clarify Overall, was Lucinda content with the life she lived?
Text Analysis
3. Compare Characters Richard Cory, Miniver Cheevy, and Lucinda Matlock
have found widely varying degrees of contentment. In your view, what is the
primary reason for each character’s happiness or unhappiness? Give details
to support your answer.
RL 3 Analyze the impact of the
author’s choices regarding how
to develop and relate elements
of a story. RL 6 Analyze a case
in which grasping point of
view requires distinguishing
what is directly stated in
a text from what is really
meant. RL 9 Demonstrate
knowledge of how two or more
texts from the same period treat
similar themes or topics.
4. Examine Characterization in Narrative Poetry What details does Robinson
use to reveal each of the following character traits of Richard Cory and
Miniver Cheevy? What impact does this characterization have on your
sympathy or distaste for the characters? Explain.
• Richard’s perfectionism
• Miniver’s laziness
• Richard’s self-restraint
• Miniver’s romanticism
5. Analyze Speaker’s Attitude Review the chart you created as you read. What
attitude does the speaker of each poem express toward the main character?
Would you say that the speaker is sympathetic to or critical of the character
described? In each case, what does this attitude tell you about the speaker’s
own personality and values? Give evidence to support your answer.
6. Evaluate Author’s Style Robinson’s poems use rhyme, meter, and humor in a
playful way that is somewhat at odds with the grim revelations made in the
last lines. How does this playfulness shape the impact of these final lines?
Explain whether or not you find this an effective technique, and why.
Text Criticism
7. Critical Interpretations Critic Bill Peschel has said that in Robinson’s Tilbury
Town poems, “the town’s Puritan ethic, portrayed as repressive and critical,
combined with the materialistic aspects of society, conspires to bring down
its citizens.” Do you find evidence of this repressive Puritan ethic in the
attitudes of the speakers in the Robinson poems? Explain why or why not.
What makes for a
full life ?
The speaker in “Lucinda Matlock” appears to have the most reasons to be
happy. What, then, is her source of contentment? What do you think
makes for a contented life?
richard cory / miniver cheevy / lucinda matlock
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