Spoon River Anthology

The Spoon River Anthology is a collection of narratives from the deceased residents of Spoon River. Considered one of the most original and innovative writings of its time, the Spoon River Anthology is a brutally honest and brilliant work of American Literature. Have the writers at Paper Masters explicate any one of the poems within or write a research paper on the entire anthology. Our writers can review the anthology in its historical context or as a work of literature; whatever you need explained, our literary experts can help.

Facts about the Spoon River Anthology include the following:

• Published in 1915 by Edgar Lee Masters
• Was a huge commercial success
• Location was believed to be in central Illinois, near Lewistown

Every poem within the Spoon River Anthology begins with the author's name and a small blurb about their life. The epitaphs in Spoon River are honest and reveal how the residents of the town truly felt. Poetry is an art that is often thought of as a luxury, not a necessity in life. However, the poet is somewhat of a philosopher that adds insight into life's experiences and illustrates one person's perspective through poetical phrasing. Much can be gained from the wisdom of others and poetry serves as an apt vehicle of expression.

Several of the poems within the Spoon River Anthology discuss life in an umbrella sense and attempted to illustrate the author's view on life. Each work is a master at using subtle images in nature to convey contemplation on the meaning of life. The Spoon River Anthology is perhaps one of America's finest examples of simplicity in poetry used to reveal life through the beauty and brutality of life. The use of imagery, tone, connotation and figurative language convey the theme of taking time to notice the beauty in the world, yet not dwelling on it too long for there is plenty to do in this lifetime. On a darker level, the poems also speak of reflecting on death and the road that one travels to get there.