In Spoon River Anthology, Edgar Lee Masters' most successful and enduring work, the dead speak to the present through free verse epitaphs. They reveal secret hopes and hidden crimes, injustices and sweet remembrances, the small-mindedness of small towns and the joys of simple living. All the denizens of small town middle America are represented, from across the years and across the socio-economic spectrum. They all are equal in death and all have their say, each revealing their unique perspective of their intertwined lives.
Originally published under the pseudonym Dexter Wallace in the Mirror, St. Louis, over the course of 1914 and 1915, the poems were received with critical acclaim. Even more significantly, the Spoon River poems opened up the world of poetry to "non-specialist readers", people who would not otherwise read poetry. The enduring popularity of the Spoon River Anthology is a testament to the continuing accessiblity of Masters' verse and the universality of the themes explored. Masters based many of the poems on people and incidents in his two hometowns of Petersburg and Lewiston, Illinois.
The complete set of poems include new poems added in 1916.
For the price conscious, The Spoon River Anthology is available in a Dover Thrift Edition (ISBN 0486272753) for a mere US$2. So much pleasure to be had for such a small price. Thanks to "cheap college student" cbustapeck for bringing this to my attention.
CST Approved • Spoon River Anthology is available through Project Gutenberg
Spoon River Anthology
The Hill
Altman, Herman Hainsfeather, Barney Pantier, Benjamin
Andy the Night-Watch Hamblin, Carl Pantier, Mrs. Benjamin
Armstrong, Hannah Hately, Constance Pantier, Reuben
Arnett, Harold Hatfield, Aaron Peet, Rev. Abner
Justice Arnett Hawkins, Elliott Pennington, Willie
Atherton, Lucius Hawley, Jeduthan Penniwit the Artist
Henry, Chase Petit the Poet
Ballard, John Herndon, William H. Phipps, Henry
Barker, Amanda Heston, Roger Plymouth Rock Joe
Barrett, Pauline Higbie, Archibald Poague, Peleg
Bartlett, Ezra Hill, Doc Pollard, Edmund
Bateson, Marie Hoheimer, Knowlt Potter, Cooney
Beatty, Tom Holden, Barry Puckett, Lydia
Beethoven, Isaiah Hookey, Sam Purkapile, Mrs.
Bennett, Hon. Henry Houghton, Jonathan Purkapile, Roscoe
Bindle, Nicholas Howard, Jefferson Putt, Hod
Blind Jack Hueffer, Cassius
Bliss, Mrs. Charles Hummel, Oscar Reece, Mrs. George
Blood, A. D. Humphrey, Lydia Rhodes, Ralph
Bloyd, Wendell P. Huxley, Scholfield Rhodes, Thomas
Bone, Richard Hutchins, Lambert Richter, Gustav
Branson, Caroline Hyde, Ernest Robbins, Hortense
Brown, Jim Roberts, Rosie
Brown, Sarah Iseman, Dr. Siegfried Ross, Thomas, Jr.
Browning, Elijah Russian Sonia
Burke, Robert Southey James, Godwin Rutledge, Anne
Burleson, John Horace Johnson, Voltaire
Butler, Roy Jones, Fiddler Sayre, Johnnie
Jones, Franklin Scates, Hiram
Cabanis, Flossie Jones, "Indignation" Schirding, Albert
Cabanis, John Jones, Minerva Schmidt, Felix
Calhoun, Granville Jones, William Schroeder the Fisherman
Calhoun, Henry C. Scott, Julian
Campbell, Calvin Karr, Elmer Sexsmith the Dentist
Carlisle, Jeremy Keene, Jonas Sewall, Harlan
Carman, Eugene Keene, Kinsey Sharp, Percival
Cheney, Columbus Kessler, Bert Shaw, "Ace"
Chicken, Ida Kessler, Mrs. Shelley, Percy Bysshe
Childers, Elizabeth Killion, Captain Orlando Shope, Tennessee Claflin
Church, John M. Kincaid, Russell Sibley, Amos
Churchill, Alfonso King, Lyman Sibley, Mrs.
The Circuit Judge Knapp, Nancy Siever, Conrad
Clapp, Homer Konovaloff, Ippolit Simmons, Walter
Clark, Nellie Kritt, Dow Sissman, Dillard
Clute, Aner Slack, Margaret Fuller
Compton, Seth Layton, Henry Smith, Louise
Conant, Edith Lively, Judge Selah Somers, Jonathan Swift
Culbertson, E. C. Somers, Judge
M'Cumber, Daniel Sparks, Emily
Davidson, Robert McDowell, Rutherford Spears, Lois
Dement, Silas McFarlane, Widow Standard, W. Lloyd Garrison
Dippold the Optician McGee, Fletcher Stewart, Lillian
Dixon, Joseph McGee, Ollie Stoddard, Judson
Dobyns, Batterton McGee, Fletcher
Drummer, Frank McGee, Ollie Tanner, Robert Fulton
Drummer, Hare M'Grew, Jennie Taylor, Deacon
Dunlap, Enoch M'Grew, Mickey Theodore the Poet
Dye, Shack McGuire, Jack Thornton, English
McNeely, Mary Throckmorton, Alexander
Ehrenhardt, Imanuel McNeely, Paul Todd, Eugenia
McNeely, Washington Tompkins, Josiah
Fallas, State's Att'y Malloy, Father The Town Marshal
Fawcett, Clarence Many Soldiers Trainor the Druggist
Ferguson, Wallace Marsh, Zilpha Trevelyan, Thomas
Findlay, Anthony Marshall, Herbert Trimble, George
Fluke, Willard Mason, Serepta Tripp, Henry
Foote, Searcy Matheny, Faith Tubbs, Hildrup
Ford, Webster Matlock, Davis Turner, Francis
Fraser, Benjamin Matlock, Lucinda Tutt, Oaks
Fraser, Daisy Melveny, Abel
French, Charlie Merritt, Mrs. The Unknown
Frickey, Ida Merritt, Tom
Metcalf, Willie The Village Atheist
Garber, James Meyers, Doctor
Gardner, Samuel Meyers, Mrs. Wasson, John
Garrick, Amelia Micure, Hamlet Wasson Rebecca
Godbey, Jacob Miles, J. Milton Webster, Charles
Goldman, Le Roy Miller, Julia Weirauch, Adam
Goode, William Miner, Georgine Sand Weldy, "Butch"
Goodhue, Harry Carey Moir, Alfred Wertman, Elsa
Goodpasture, Jacob Whedon, Editor
Graham, Magrady Newcomer, Professor Whitney, Harmon
Gray, George Nutter, Isa Wiley, Rev. Lemuel
Green, Ami Will, Arlo
Greene, Hamilton Osborne, Mabel William and Emily
Griffy the Cooper Otis, John Hancock Williams, Dora
Gustine, Dorcas Williams, Mrs.
Wilmans, Harry
Witt, Zenas
Yee Bow
Zoll, Perry
The Spooniad*
Epilogue*
*These poems are, in my judgement, overly long for inclusion in the Everything2 database. If an editor or god thinks they can be accommodated, please /msg me and I shall gladly node them.