My name used to be in the papers daily
As having dined somewhere,
Or traveled somewhere,
Or rented a house in Paris,
Where I entertained the nobility.
I was forever eating or traveling,
Or taking the cure at Baden-Baden.
Now I am here to do honor
To Spoon River, here beside the family whence I sprang.
No one cares now where I dined,
Or lived, or whom I entertained,
Or how often I took the cure at Baden-Baden!

Analysis, meaning and summary of Edgar Lee Masters's poem Hortense Robbins

2 Comments

  1. Terrylee Dembowski says:

    INTERPRETATION IS ANYTHING ONE WANT TO INTERPRET. MINE?
    GO TO FACEBOOK.. LOOK AT THE HORTENSE ROBBINS ON IT. FACEBOOK IS NOTHING BUT: HEY LOOK AT ME.. LOOK WHAT I HAVE DONE… WHAT A WASTE OF TIME ..WHEN YOUR DEAD AND IN THE CRYPT WHO CARES WHO YOU KNEW OR WHAT YOU DID? EDGAR LEE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME HOURS OF ENJOYMENT..

  2. ea says:

    I think I’ll use this one at the little family plot in Fort Ann. lol.

    These make a excellent Halloween time read, btw. I had read this collection in high school and wasn’t impressed at the time; in fact, I couldn’t have even have told you if it was a novel or play or poetry collection if you’d asked me two weeks ago. I just know I read it along with Ferlighetti’s “Coney Island,” which DID impress me at time. Thanks, Mr. Lee. Spoon River Anthology is a true gemstone and I am so happy to have rediscovered it here in the autumn of the year…

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