Spoon River Anthology

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Spoon River Anthology

The Spoon River Anthology, written by Edgar Lee Masters in 1915, was a unique piece of work in both style and structure. There are over two hundred “stories” told by the dead people who once lived in the town of Spoon River. The lives and dreams of these people are written as poems. The poetry itself is an excellent example of early modernist style.

Since there are many people from many different backgrounds, and even different generations, (There are examples of Old English spellings and hints of people being from different decades), there are varied stories and themes present throughout the Anthology. A lot of the book revolves around the concept of the American dream and ethic, as well as the puritan ethic. Religion is a topic, and so is war, and of course, death.

The way the book is written is very unique. At times, the poems are very dark and angry, while people simply wishing to pass advice on to the living narrate other poems. Each character and poem has it’s own tone and theme. The people “interact,” and refer to one another*. Some charact...

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