Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1925-12-09
A MAINE POET.
Ellsworth Pastor Introduces Maine
Man to Maine People.


At the last meeting of the
Woman's Club, Rev. George S.
Brookes gave an address on robin
son, the Maine Poet" He was
amazed to find that many of the
members did not know anything
about the man or his poetry. His
establishment has since grown, from
the fact that two friends present at
the meeting, impressed by the poems
read, found it impossible to purchase
a copy in Bangor, and the booksellers
in that city had not even heard or
Robinson. Moreover, there is not
COPY in the Ellsworth library.
In these days when commenda-
BILE effort is being made to boost
Maine" Mr.. Brookes thinks word
should be said in praise Of her poet,
about whom Amy Lowell, in 1922,
said, "Mr. Robinson is the most fin
ished and settled of the poets alive in
America to-day" Mr.. Brookes gives
The American the following brief
sketch of the Maine poet:
Edwin Arlington Robinson was
born in Gardiner, on the Kennebec
river, in 1869. Here he received his
from the high school, went to Har-
ward college, where he studied 1891
SO. In 1896, his first book of poems
appeared, 1.-THE Torrent and the
Night Before" In 1897, second
volume was published, 1.-THE Children
of the Night" From 1900 on he re-
sided in New York, where he worked
as an inspector in New York sub
way, and for four years in the
customs house, which position was
secured for him by President Roose-
welt. From 1857-1922 he published
eight volumes Of poetry and two
plays, though the plays met the same
fate as those of Charles Lamb. In
1922, the Authors Club accepted his
COLLECTED Poems" as the most
significant contribution to literature
made by an American in 1921, and IN
the same year, Yale conferred on him
the degree Of LII. ID.
Mr.. Robinson is very modest. He
is not we'll known, simply because ne
is extremely reticent. He never
writes prose- He never expresses an
opinion of his fellow poets. There Is
not even a preface to his books. He
simply will not talk about himself or
make any effort to attract attention.
Poe uuarreled with Lowell, accused
Longfellow of plagiarism and sneered
at Margaret Fuller, then people read
his poetry Joaquin Miller, the CAN
fornian poet, appeared on the streets
of London in Wild West costume
then people read his poems. But
Robinson is different; he doesn't
wear long hair, but is perfectly
normal.
His poetry is wonderful. He writes
under an April sky There is a SOM
breness, a touch of pathos IN ms
poetry. 1t is never a cloudless sky
with him-usually the clouds gather
in the east-but he always has
promising sunset--a sunset or cour-
age and hope. The qualities that
adorn his poetry are very evident
His poems are uniformly good.
There is no marked development IN
his books. The poems in the hrst
twenty pages are as good as those at
the end of the book.
9. They are an Interpretation OF
life through character He is al
WAYS concerned with personality.
M uCn luOuSlll 10 s7iNSh "
mosphere Somebody has sad that
Robnson's forte is two people ana
an atmosphere. One never forge'S
how
",rhe cottage of old Archibald appeared.
Little and white and high on smoo'h'
round hill
If stood with hackmatacks and apple
trees
BEFORE it. and a big barnroof beyond
And over the place-trees, house neios
| lowered an air of still simplclty'
And a fragrance of Old summers
4. He possesses capacity ior
projecting situation or story
through mood, as in "The House on
the HILL" and Isaac and Archlbald'
5. The greatest value or MS
poetry lies in it's dramatic power, a
wonderful insight, marvellous pene-
tration into human character-vlvld
characterization. These poems may
be divided into three groups: /. Por-