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Spoon River Anthology

by Edgar Lee Masters

Contents:

Armstrong, Hannah Arnett, Harold Atherton, Lucius

Ballard, ohn Bar!er, Amanda Barrett, "auline Bartlett,E#ra Bateson, Marie Beatty, $om Beethoven,%saiah Bennett, Hon& Henry Bindle, 'icholas Blind

ac! Bliss, Mrs& Charles Blood, A& (& Bloyd, )endell"& Bone, Richard Branson, Caroline Bro*n, im Bro*n,Sarah Bro*ning, Eli+ah Burleson, ohn Horace Butler,Roy

Cabanis, lossie Calhoun, -ranville Calhoun, HenryC& Campbell, Calvin Carman, Eugene Cheney,Columbus Childers, Eli#abeth Church, ohn M& Churchill,Al.onso Circuit udge, $he Clapp, Homer Clar!,'ellie Clute, Aner Compton, Seth Conant,

Edith Culbertson, E& C&

(avidson, Robert (ement, Silas (i/on, oseph (rummer, ran! (rummer, Hare (unlap,Enoch (ye, Shac!

Ehrenhardt, %manuel

allas, State0s Attorney a*cett, Clarence lu!e,)illard oote, Searcy ord, )ebster raser,Ben+amin raser, (aisy rench, Charlie ric!ey, %da

-arber, ames -ardner, Samuel -arric!,Amelia -odbey, acob -oldman, Le Roy -oode,)illiam -oodpasture, acob -raham, Magrady -ray,



-eorge -reen, Ami -reene, Hamilton -ri1y theCooper -ustine, (orcas

Hains.eather, Barney Hamblin, Carl Hat2eld,

Aaron Ha*!ins, Elliott Ha*ley, eduthan Henry,Chase Herndon, )illiam H& Heston, Roger Higbie,Archibald Hill, (oc Hill, $he Hoheimer, 3no*lt Holden,Barry Hoo!ey, Sam Ho*ard, e1erson Hue1er,Cassius Hummel, 4scar Humphrey, Lydia Hutchins,Lambert Hyde, Ernest

ames, -od*in ones, iddler ones, ran!lin ones,

5%ndignation5 ones, Minerva ones, )illiam

3arr, Elmer 3eene, onas 3essler, Bert 3essler,Mrs& 3illion, Captain 4rlando 3incaid, Russell 3ing,Lyman 3napp, 'ancy 3onovalo1, %ppolit 3ritt, (o*

Layton, Henry

M0Cumber, (aniel Mc(o*ell, Ruther.ord Mcarlane,

)ido* Mc-ee, letcher Mc-ee, 4llie M0-re*, ennie M0-re*, Mic!ey Mc-uire, ac! Mc'eely,Mary Mc'eely, )ashington Malloy, ather ManySoldiers Marsh, 6ilpha Marshall, Herbert Mason,Serepta Matheny, aith Matloc!, (avis Matloc!,Lucinda Melveny, Abel Merritt, Mrs& Merritt,

$om Metcal., )illie Meyers, (octor Meyers, Mrs& Micure,Hamlet Miles, %& Milton Miller, ulia Miner, -eorgine

Sand Moir, Al.red

'e*comer, "ro.essor

4sborne, Mabel 4tis, ohn Hancoc!



"antier, Ben+amin "antier, Mrs& Ben+amin "antier,Reuben "eet, Rev& Abner "ennington, )illie "enni*it,the Artist "etit, the "oet "hipps, Henry "oague,"eleg "ollard, Edmund "otter, Cooney "uc!ett,

Lydia "ur!apile, Mrs& "ur!apile, Roscoe "utt, Hod

Reece, Mrs& -eorge Rhodes, Ralph Rhodes, $homas Richter, -ustav Robbins, Hortense Roberts,Rosie Ross, $homas, %r& Russian Sonia Rutledge, Anne

Sayre, ohnnie Scates, Hiram Schirding,Albert Schmidt, eli/ Scott, ulian Se*all, Harlan Sharp,

"ercival Sha*, 5Ace5 Shelley, "ercy Bysshe Shope, $ennessee Cla7in Sibley, Amos Sibley, Mrs& Simmons,)alter Sissman, (illard Slac!, Margaret uller Smith,Louise Somers, onathan S*i.t Somers, udge Spar!s,Emily Spooniad, $he Standard, )& Lloyd-arrison Ste*art, Lillian

$anner, Robert ulton $aylor, (eacon $heodore the"oet $hroc!morton, Ale/ander $omp!ins, osiah $o*nMarshal, $he $rainor, the (ruggist $revelyan,

$homas $rimble, -eorge $ripp, Henry $ubbs,Hildrup $urner, rancis $utt, 4a!s

8n!no*n, $he

9illage Atheist, $he

)asson, ohn )eirauch, Adam )eldy,5Butch5 )ertman, Elsa )hedon, Editor )hitney,Harmon )iley, Rev& Lemuel )ill, Arlo )illiam andEmily )illiams, (ora )illiams, Mrs& )ilmans,Harry )itt, 6enas



ee Bo*

6oll, "erry

$he Hill

)here are Elmer, Herman, Bert, $om and Charley, $he*ea! o. *ill, the strong o. arm, the clo*n, the boo#er, the2ghter; All, all are sleeping on the hill&

4ne passed in a .ever, 4ne *as burned in a mine, 4ne*as !illed in a bra*l, 4ne died in a +ail, 4ne .ell .rom abridge toiling .or children and *i.e< All, all are sleeping,sleeping, sleeping on the hill&

)here are Ella, 3ate, Mag, Li##ie and Edith, $he tenderheart, the simple soul, the loud, the proud, the happyone;< All, all are sleeping on the hill&

4ne died in shame.ul child=birth, 4ne o. a th*artedlove, 4ne at the hands o. a brute in a brothel, 4ne o. a

bro!en pride, in the search .or heart0s desire> 4ne a.terli.e in .ar=a*ay London and "aris )as brought to her littlespace by Ella and 3ate and Mag< All, all are sleeping,sleeping, sleeping on the hill&

)here are 8ncle %saac and Aunt Emily, And old $o*ny3incaid and Sevigne Houghton, And Ma+or )al!er *hohad tal!ed )ith venerable men o. the revolution;< All,

all are sleeping on the hill&

$hey brought them dead sons .rom the *ar, Anddaughters *hom li.e had crushed, And their children.atherless, crying< All, all are sleeping, sleeping,sleeping on the hill& )here is 4ld iddler ones )ho



played *ith li.e all his ninety years, Braving the sleet*ith bared breast, (rin!ing, rioting, thin!ing neither o.*i.e nor !in, 'or gold, nor love, nor heaven; Lo? hebabbles o. the 2sh=.rys o. long ago, 4. the horse=races o.

long ago at Clary0s -rove, 4. *hat Abe Lincoln said 4netime at Spring2eld&

Hod "utt

HERE % lie close to the grave 4. 4ld Bill "iersol, )hogre* rich trading *ith the %ndians, and *ho A.ter*ardstoo! the Ban!rupt La* And emerged .rom it richer than

ever Mysel. gro*n tired o. toil and poverty Andbeholding ho* 4ld Bill and other gre* in *ealth Robbeda traveler one 'ight near "roctor0s -rove, 3illing himun*ittingly *hile doing so, or *hich % *as tried andhanged& $hat *as my *ay o. going into ban!ruptcy& 'o**e *ho too! the ban!rupt la* in our respective*ays Sleep peace.ully side by side&

4llie Mc-ee

Have you seen *al!ing through the village A Man *ithdo*ncast eyes and haggard .ace; $hat is my husband*ho, by secret cruelty 'ever to be told, robbed me o. myyouth and my beauty> $ill at last, *rin!led and *ithyello* teeth, And *ith bro!en pride and shame.ulhumility, % san! into the grave& But *hat thin! yougna*s at my husband0s heart; $he .ace o. *hat % *as,

the .ace o. *hat he made me? $hese are driving him tothe place *here % lie& %n death, there.ore, % am avenged&

letcher Mc-ee

She too! my strength by minutes, She too! my li.e by



hours, She drained me li!e a .evered moon $hat sapsthe spinning *orld& $he days *ent by li!e shado*s, $heminutes *heeled li!e stars& She too! the pity .rom myheart, And made it into smiles& She *as a hun! o.

sculptor0s clay, My secret thoughts *ere 2ngers: $hey7e* behind her pensive bro* And lined it deep *ithpain& $hey set the lips, and sagged the chee!s, Anddrooped the eye *ith sorro*& My soul had entered in theclay, ighting li!e seven devils& %t *as not mine, it *asnot hers> She held it, but its struggles Modeled a .aceshe hated, And a .ace % .eared to see& % beat the*indo*s, shoo! the bolts& % hid me in a corner And then

she died and haunted me, And hunted me .or li.e&

Robert ulton $anner

%. a man could bite the giant hand $hat catches anddestroys him, As % *as bitten by a rat )hiledemonstrating my patent trap, %n my hard*are store thatday& But a man can never avenge himsel. 4n themonstrous ogre Li.e& ou enter the room that0s beingborn> And then you must live *or! out your soul, 4. thecross=current in li.e )hich Bring honor to the dead, *holived in shame&

Cassius Hue1er

$HE have chiseled on my stone the *ords: 5His li.e*as gentle, and the elements so mi/ed in him $hat

nature might stand up and say to all the *orld, $his *asa man&5 $hose *ho !ne* me smile As they read thisempty rhetoric& My epitaph should have been: 5Li.e *asnot gentle to him, And the elements so mi/ed inhim $hat he made *ar.are on li.e %n the *hich he *asslain&5 )hile % lived % could not cope *ith slanderous



tongues, 'o* that % am dead % must submit to anepitaph -raven by a .ool?

Serepta Mason

M li.e0s blossom might have bloomed on all sides Save.or a bitter *ind *hich stunted my petals 4n the side o.me *hich you in the village could see& rom the dust % li.ta voice o. protest: My 7o*ering side you never sa*? eliving ones, ye are .ools indeed )ho do not !no* the*ays o. the *ind And the unseen .orces $hat govern theprocesses o. li.e&

Amanda Bar!er

HE'R got me *ith child, 3no*ing that % could not bring.orth li.e )ithout losing my o*n& %n my youth there.ore %entered the portals o. dust& $raveler, it is believed in thevillage *here % lived $hat Henry loved me *ith ahusband0s love But % proclaim .rom the dust $hat he sle*me to grati.y his hatred&

Chase Henry

%' li.e % *as the to*n drun!ard> )hen % died the priestdenied me burial %n holy ground& $he *hich redoundedto my good .ortune& or the "rotestants bought thislot, And buried my body here, Close to the grave o. theban!er 'icholas, And o. his *i.e "riscilla& $a!e note, ye

prudent and pious souls, 4. the cross<currents inli.e )hich bring honor to the dead, *ho lived in shame

udge Somers

Ho* does it happen, tell me, $hat % *ho *as most



erudite o. la*yers, )ho !ne* Blac!stone andCo!e Almost by heart, *ho made the greatestspeech $he court=house ever heard, and *rote A brie.that *on the praise o. ustice Breese Ho* does it

happen, tell me, $hat % lie here unmar!ed,.orgotten, )hile Chase Henry, the to*n drun!ard, Has amarble bloc!, topped by an urn )herein 'ature, in amood ironical, Has so*n a 7o*ering *eed;

Ben+amin "antier

$4-E$HER in this grave lie Ben+amin "antier, attorney at

la*, And 'ig, his dog, constant companion, solace and.riend& (o*n the gray road, .riends, children, men and*omen, "assing one by one out o. li.e, le.t me till % *asalone )ith 'ig .or partner, bed=.ello*> comrade indrin!& %n the morning o. li.e % !ne* aspiration and sa*glory, $he she, *ho survives me, snared my soul )ith asnare *hich bled me to death, $ill %, once strong o. *ill,lay bro!en, indi1erent, Living *ith 'ig in a room bac! o.a dingy o@ce& 8nder my a*=bone is snuggled the bonynose o. 'ig 4ur story is lost in silence& -o by, Mad *orld?

Mrs& Ben+amin "antier

% !no* that he told that % snared his soul )ith a snare*hich bled him to death& And all the men loved him, Andmost o. the *omen pitied him& But suppose you arereally a lady, and have delicate tastes, And loathe the

smell o. *his!ey and onions, And the rhythm o.)ords*orth0s 54de5 runs in your ears, )hile he goesabout .rom morning till night Repeating bits o. thatcommon thing> 54h, *hy should the spirit o. mortal beproud;5 And then, suppose> ou are a *oman *ellendo*ed, And the only man *ith *hom the la* and



morality "ermit you to have the marital relation %s thevery man that 2lls you *ith disgust Every time you thin!o. it *hile you thin! o. it Every time you see him; $hat0s*hy % drove him a*ay .rom home $o live *ith his dog in a

dingy room Bac! o. his o@ce&

Reuben "antier

)ELL, Emily Spar!s, your prayers *ere not *asted, ourlove *as not all in vain& % o*e *hatever % *as in li.e $oyour hope that *ould not give me up, $o your love thatsa* me still as good& (ear Emily Spar!s, let me tell you

the story& % pass the e1ect o. my .ather and mother> $hemilliner0s daughter made me trouble And out % *ent inthe *orld, )here % passed through every peril !no*n 4.*ine and *omen and +oy o. li.e& 4ne night, in a room inthe Rue de Rivoli, % *as drin!ing *ine *ith a blac!=eyedcocotte, And the tears s*am into my eyes& She thoughthey *ere amorous tears and smiled or thought o. herconuest over me& But my soul *as three thousand milesa*ay, %n the days *hen you taught me in SpoonRiver& And +ust because you no more could love me, 'orpray .or me, nor *rite me letters, $he eternal silence o.you spo!e instead& And the Blac!=eyed cocotte too! thetears .or hers, As *ell as the deceiving !isses % gaveher& Someho*, .rom that hour, % had a ne* vision (earEmily Spar!s?

Emily Spar!s

)here is my boy, my boy %n *hat .ar part o. the*orld; $he boy % loved best o. all in the school;< %, theteacher, the old maid, the virgin heart, )ho made themall my children& (id % !no* my boy aright, $hin!ing o.him as a spirit a7ame, Active, ever aspiring; 4h, boy,



boy, .or *hom % prayed and prayed %n many a *atch.ulhour at night, (o you remember the letter % *rote you 4. the beauti.ul love o. Christ; And *hether you ever too! itor not, My, boy, *herever you are, )or! .or your soul0s

sa!e, $hat all the clay o. you, all o. the dross o. you, Mayyield to the 2re o. you, $ill the 2re is nothing but light? 'othing but light?

$rainor, the (ruggist

4nly the chemist can tell, and not al*ays thechemist, )hat *ill result .rom compounding luids or

solids& And *ho can tell Ho* men and *omen *illinteract 4n each other, or *hat children *illresult; $here *ere Ben+amin "antier and his *i.e, -oodin themselves, but evil to*ard each other> He o/ygen,she hydrogen, $heir son, a devastating 2re& % $rainor, thedruggist, a miser o. chemicals, 3illed *hile ma!ing ane/periment, Lived un*edded&

(aisy raser

(id you ever hear o. Editor )hedon -iving to the publictreasury any o. the money he received or supportingcandidates .or o@ce; 4r .or *riting up the canning.actory $o get people to invest; 4r .or suppressing the.acts about the ban!, )hen it *as rotten and ready tobrea!; (id you ever hear o. the Circuit udge Helpinganyone e/cept the 55 railroad, 4r the ban!ers; 4r did

Rev& "eet or Rev& Sibley -ive any part o. their salary,earned by !eeping still, 4r spea!ing out as the leaders*ished them to do, $o the building o. the *ater*or!s; But % (aisy raser *ho al*ays passed Along thestreet through ro*s o. nods and smiles, And caughs and*ords such as 5there she goes&5 'ever *as ta!en be.ore



ustice Arnett )ithout contributing ten dollars andcosts $o the school .und o. Spoon River?

Ben+amin raser

$HE%R spirits beat upon mine Li!e the *ings o. athousand butter7ies& % closed my eyes and .elt theirspirits vibrating& % closed my eyes, yet % !ne* *hen theirlashes ringed their chee!s .rom do*ncast eyes, And*hen they turned their heads> And *hen their garmentsclung to them, 4r .ell .rom them, in e/uisitedraperies& $heir spirits *atched my ecstasy )ith *ide

loo!s o. starry unconcern& $heir spirits loo!ed upon mytorture> $hey dran! it as it *ere the *ater o. li.e> )ithreddened chee!s, brightened eyes, $he rising 7ame o.my soul made their spirits gilt, Li!e the *ings o. abutter7y dri.ting suddenly into sunlight& And they cried tome .or li.e, li.e, li.e& But in ta!ing li.e .or mysel., %nsei#ing and crushing their souls, As a child crushesgrapes and drin!s rom its palms the purple +uice, %came to this *ingless void, )here neither red, nor gold,nor *ine, 'or the rhythm o. li.e are !no*n&

Minerva ones

% AM Minerva, the village poetess, Hooted at, +eered atby the ahoos o. the street or my heavy body, coc!=eye,and rolling *al!, And all the more *hen 5Butch5)eldy Captured me a.ter a brutal hunt& He le.t me to my

.ate *ith (octor Meyers> And % san! into death, gro*ingnumb .rom the .eet up, Li!e one stepping deeper anddeeper into a stream o. ice& )ill some one go to thevillage ne*spaper, And gather into a boo! the verses %*rote;< % thirsted so .or love % hungered so .or li.e?



5%ndignation5 ones

ou *ould not believe, *ould you $hat % came .romgood )elsh stoc!; $hat % *as purer blooded than the

*hite trash here; And o. more direct lineage thanthe 'e* Englanders And 9irginians o. Spoon River; ou*ould not believe that % had been to school And readsome boo!s& ou sa* me only as a run=do*n man )ithmatted hair and beard And ragged clothes& Sometimes aman0s li.e turns into a cancer rom being bruised andcontinually bruised, And s*ells into a purplish mass Li!egro*ths on stal!s o. corn& Here *as %, a carpenter, mired

in a bog o. li.e %nto *hich % *al!ed, thin!ing it *as ameado*, )ith a slattern .or a *i.e, and poor Minerva, mydaughter, )hom you tormented and drove to death& So %crept, crept, li!e a snail through the days 4. my li.e& 'omore you hear my .ootsteps in the morning, Resoundingon the hollo* side*al! -oing to the grocery store .or alittle corn meal And a nic!el0s *orth o. bacon&

5Butch5 )eldy

A$ER % got religion and steadied do*n $hey gave me a +ob in the canning *or!s, And every morning % had to2ll $he tan! in the yard *ith gasoline, $hat .ed the blo*=2res in the sheds $o heat the soldering irons& And %mounted a ric!ety ladder to do it, Carrying buc!ets .ull o. the stu1& 4ne morning, as % stood there pouring, $he airgre* still and seemed to heave, And % shot up as the tan!

e/ploded, And do*n % came *ith both legs bro!en, Andmy eyes burned crisp as a couple o. eggs& or someonele.t a blo*<2re going, And something suc!ed the 7amein the tan!& $he Circuit udge said *hoever did it )as a.ello*=servant o. mine, and so 4ld Rhodes0 son didn0thave to pay me& And % sat on the *itness stand as



blind As lac! the iddler, saying over and over, 5% didn0t!no* him at all&5

(octor Meyers

'o other man, unless it *as (oc Hill, (id more .orpeople in this to*n than %& And all the *ea!, the halt, theimprovident And those *ho could not pay 7oc!ed tome& % *as good=hearted, easy (octor Meyers& % *ashealthy, happy, in com.ortable .ortune, Blest *ith acongenial mate, my children raised, All *edded, doing*ell in the *orld& And then one night, Minerva, the

poetess, Came to me in her trouble, crying& % tried tohelp her out<she died< $hey indicted me, thene*spapers disgraced me, My *i.e perished o. a bro!enheart& And pneumonia 2nished me&

Mrs& Meyers

HE protested all his li.e long $he ne*spapers lied abouthim villainously> $hat he *as not at .ault .or Minerva0s

.all, But only tried to help her& "oor soul so sun! in sin hecould not see $hat even trying to help her, as he calledit, He had bro!en the la* human and divine& "assers by,an ancient admonition to you: %. your *ays *ould be*ays o. pleasantness, And all your path*ayspeace, Love -od and !eep his commandments&

3no*lt Hoheimer

% )AS the 2rst .ruits o. the battle o. MissionaryRidge& )hen % .elt the bullet enter my heart % *ished %had staid at home and gone to +ail or stealing the hogso. Curl $renary, %nstead o. running a*ay and +oining thearmy& Rather a thousand times the county +ail $han to lie



under this marble 2gure *ith *ings, And this granitepedestal Bearing the *ords, 5"ro "atria&5 )hat do theymean, any*ay;

Lydia "uc!ett

3'4)L$ H4HE%MER ran a*ay to the *ar $he day be.oreCurl $renary S*ore out a *arrant through usticeArnett or stealing hogs& But that0s not the reason heturned a soldier& He caught me running *ith LuciusAtherton& )e uarreled and % told him never again $ocross my path& $hen he stole the hogs and *ent to the

*ar< Bac! o. every soldier is a *oman&

ran! (rummer

48$ o. a cell into this dar!ened space< $he end att*enty=2ve? My tongue could not spea! *hat stirred*ithin me, And the village thought me a .ool& et at thestart there *as a clear vision, A high and urgent purposein my soul )hich drove me on trying to memori#e $he

Encyclopedia Britannica?

Hare (rummer

(o the boys and girls still go to Siever0s or cider, a.terschool, in late September; 4r gather ha#el nuts amongthe thic!ets 4n Aaron Hat2eld0s .arm *hen the .rostsbegin; or many times *ith the laughing girls and

boys "layed % along the road and over the hills )hen thesun *as lo* and the air *as cool, Stopping to club the*alnut tree Standing lea7ess against a 7aming*est& 'o*, the smell o. the autumn smo!e, And thedropping acorns, And the echoes about the vales Bringdreams o. li.e& $hey hover over me& $hey uestion



me: )here are those laughing comrades; Ho* many are*ith me, ho* many %n the old orchards along the *ay toSiever0s, And in the *oods that overloo! $he uiet*ater;

(oc Hill

% )E'$ 8" and do*n the streets Here and there by dayand night, $hrough all hours o. the night caring .or thepoor *ho *ere sic!& (o you !no* *hy; My *i.e hatedme, my son *ent to the dogs& And % turned to the peopleand poured out my love to them& S*eet it *as to see the

cro*ds about the la*ns on the day o. my .uneral, Andhear them murmur their love and sorro*& But oh, dear-od, my soul trembled, scarcely able $o hold to therailing o. the ne* li.e )hen % sa* Em Stanton behind theoa! tree At the grave, Hiding hersel., and her grie.?

Sarah Bro*n

MA8R%CE, *eep not, % am not here under this pine

tree& $he balmy air o. spring *hispers through the s*eetgrass, $he stars spar!le, the *hippoor*ill calls, But thougrievest, *hile my soul lies rapturous %n the blest 'irvanao. eternal light? -o to the good heart that is myhusband )ho broods upon *hat he calls our guilty love:< $ell him that my love .or you, no less than my love .orhim )rought out my destiny<that through the 7esh %*on spirit, and through spirit, peace& $here is no

marriage in heaven But there is love&

"ercy Bysshe Shelley

M .ather *ho o*ned the *agon=shop And gre* richshoeing horses Sent me to the 8niversity o. Montreal& %



learned nothing and returned home, Roaming the 2elds*ith Bert 3essler, Hunting uail and snipe& At

$hompson0s La!e the trigger o. my gun Caught in theside o. the boat And a great hole *as shot through my

heart& 4ver me a .ond .ather erected this marblesha.t, 4n *hich stands the 2gure o. a *oman Carved byan %talian artist& $hey say the ashes o. mynamesa!e )ere scattered near the pyramid o. CaiusCestius Some*here near Rome&

lossie Cabanis

R4M Bindle0s opera house in the village $o Broad*ay isa great step& But % tried to ta!e it, my ambition2red )hen si/teen years o. age, Seeing 5East Lynne,5played here in the village By Ralph Barrett, thecoming Romantic actor, *ho enthralled my soul& $rue, %trailed bac! home, a bro!en .ailure, )hen Ralphdisappeared in 'e* or!, Leaving me alone in the city< But li.e bro!e him also& %n all this place o.silence $here are no !indred spirits& Ho* % *ish (usecould stand amid the pathos 4. these uiet 2elds Andread these *ords&

ulia Miller

)E uarreled that morning, or he *as si/ty<2ve, and %*as thirty, And % *as nervous and heavy *ith thechild )hose birth % dreaded& % thought over the last

letter *ritten me By that estranged young soul )hosebetrayal o. me % had concealed By marrying the oldman& $hen % too! morphine and sat do*n to read& Acrossthe blac!ness that came over my eyes % see the7ic!ering light o. these *ords even no*: 5And esus saidunto him, 9erily % say unto thee, $o=day thou shalt Be



*ith me in paradise&5

ohnnie Sayre

A$HER, thou canst never !no* $he anguish that smotemy heart or my disobedience, the moment % .elt $heremorseless *heel o. the engine Sin! into the crying7esh o. my leg& As they carried me to the home o. *ido*Morris % could see the school=house in the valley $o*hich % played truant to steal rides upon the trains& %prayed to live until % could as! your .orgiveness< Andthen your tears, your bro!en *ords o. com.ort? rom the

solace o. that hour % have gained in2nite happiness& $hou*ert *ise to chisel .or me: 5$a!en .rom the evil to come&5

Charlie rench

(%( 48 ever 2nd out )hich one o. the 40Brien boys it*as )ho snapped the toy pistol against my hand; $here*hen the 7ags *ere red and *hite %n the bree#e and5Buc!y5 Estil )as 2ring the cannon brought to Spoon

River rom 9ic!sburg by Captain Harris> And thelemonade stands *ere running And the band *asplaying, $o have it all spoiled By a piece o. a cap shotunder the s!in o. my hand, And the boys all cro*dingabout me saying: 5ou0ll die o. loc!=+a*, Charlie,sure&5 4h, dear? oh, dear? )hat chum o. mine couldhave done it;

6enas )itt

% )AS si/teen, and % had the most terrible dreams, Andspec!s be.ore my eyes, and nervous *ea!ness& And %couldn0t remember the boo!s % read, Li!e ran! (rummer*ho memori#ed page a.ter page& And my bac! *as



*ea!, and % *orried and *orried, And % *as embarrassedand stammered my lessons, And *hen % stood up torecite %0d .orget Everything that % had studied& )ell, % sa*(r& )eese0s advertisement, And there % read everything

in print, ust as i. he had !no*n me> And about thedreams *hich % couldn0t help& So % !ne* % *as mar!ed .oran early grave& And % *orried until % had a cough Andthen the dreams stopped& And then % slept the sleep*ithout dreams Here on the hill by the river&

$heodore the "oet

As a boy, $heodore, you sat .or long hours 4n the shoreo. the turbid Spoon )ith deep=set eye staring at the dooro. the cra*2sh0s burro*, )aiting .or him to appear,pushing ahead, irst his *aving antennae, li!e stra*s o.hay, And soon his body, colored li!e soap=stone, -emmed *ith eyes o. +et& And you *ondered in atrance o. thought )hat he !ne*, *hat he desired, and*hy he lived at all& But later your vision *atched .or menand *omen Hiding in burro*s o. .ate amid greatcities, Loo!ing .or the souls o. them to come out, So thatyou could see Ho* they lived, and .or *hat, And *hythey !ept cra*ling so busily Along the sandy *ay *here*ater .ails As the summer *anes&

$he $o*n Marshal

$HE: "rohibitionists made me $o*n Marshal )hen the

saloons *ere voted out, Because *hen % *as a drin!ingman, Be.ore % +oined the church, % !illed a S*ede At thesa*=mill near Maple -rove& And they *anted a terribleman, -rim, righteous, strong, courageous, And a hatero. saloons and drin!ers, $o !eep la* and order in thevillage& And they presented me *ith a loaded cane )ith



*hich % struc! ac! Mc-uire Be.ore he dre* the gun *ith*hich he !illed $he "rohibitionists spent their money invain $o hang him, .or in a dream % appeared to one o.the t*elve +urymen And told him the *hole secret

story& ourteen years *ere enough .or !illing me&

ac! Mc-uire

$HE *ould have lynched me Had % not been secretlyhurried a*ay $o the +ail at "eoria& And yet % *as goingpeace.ully home, Carrying my +ug, a little drun!, )henLogan, the marshal, halted me Called me a drun!en

hound and shoo! me And, *hen % cursed him .or it,struc! me )ith that "rohibition loaded cane< All thisbe.ore % shot him& $hey *ould have hanged me e/cept.or this: My la*yer, 3insey 3eene, *as helping toland 4ld $homas Rhodes .or *rec!ing the ban!, And the

+udge *as a .riend o. Rhodes And *anted him toescape, And 3insey o1ered to uit on Rhodes or.ourteen years .or me& And the bargain *as made& %served my time And learned to read and *rite&

acob -oodpasture

)HE' ort Sumter .ell and the *ar came % cried out inbitterness o. soul: 54 glorious republic no* nomore?5 )hen they buried my soldier son $o the call o.trumpets and the sound o. drums My heart bro!ebeneath the *eight 4. eighty years, and % cried: 54h,

son *ho died in a cause un+ust? %n the stri.e o. reedomslain?5 And % crept here under the grass& And no* .romthe battlements o. time, behold: $hrice thirty millionsouls being bound together %n the love o. largertruth, Rapt in the e/pectation o. the birth 4. a ne*Beauty, Sprung .rom Brotherhood and )isdom& % *ith



eyes o. spirit see the $rans2guration Be.ore you seeit& But ye in2nite brood o. golden eagles nesting everhigher, )heeling ever higher, the sun=light *ooing 4.lo.ty places o. $hought, orgive the blindness o. the

departed o*l&

(orcas -ustine

% )AS not beloved o. the villagers, But all because %spo!e my mind, And met those *ho transgressed againstme )ith plain remonstrance, hiding nor nurturing 'orsecret grie.s nor grudges& $hat act o. the Spartan boy is

greatly praised, )ho hid the *ol. under hiscloa!, Letting it devour him, uncomplainingly& %t isbraver, % thin!, to snatch the *ol. .orth And 2ght himopenly, even in the street, Amid dust and ho*ls o.pain& $he tongue may be an unruly member< Butsilence poisons the soul& Berate me *ho *ill<% amcontent&

'icholas Bindle

)ere you not ashamed, .ello* citi#ens, )hen my estate*as probated and everyone !ne* Ho* small a .ortune %le.t;< ou *ho hounded me in li.e, $o give, give, give tothe churches, to the poor, $o the village?<me *ho hadalready given much& And thin! you not % did not!no* $hat the pipe=organ, *hich % gave to thechurch, "layed its christening songs *hen (eacon

Rhodes, )ho bro!e and all but ruined me, )orshipped.or the 2rst time a.ter his acuittal;

Harold Arnett

% LEA'E( against the mantel, sic!, sic!, $hin!ing o. my



.ailure, loo!ing into the abysm, )ea! .rom the noon=dayheat& A church bell sounded mourn.ully .ar a*ay, % heardthe cry o. a baby, And the coughing o. ohn arnell, Bed=ridden, .everish, .everish, dying, $hen the violent voice

o. my *i.e: 5)atch out, the potatoes are burning?5 %smelled them & & & then there *as irresistible disgust& %pulled the trigger & & & blac!ness & & &light & & & 8nspea!able regret & & & .umbling .or the *orldagain& $oo late? $hus % came here, )ith lungs .orbreathing & & & one cannot breathe here *ithlungs, $hough one must breathe 4. *hat use is it $o ridone0s sel. o. the *orld, )hen no soul may ever escape

the eternal destiny o. li.e;

Margaret uller Slac!

% )48L( have been as great as -eorge Eliot But .or anunto*ard .ate& or loo! at the photograph o. me made by"enni*it, Chin resting on hand, and deep<set eyes< -ray, too, and .ar=searching& But there *as the old,old problem: Should it be celibacy, matrimony orunchastity; $hen ohn Slac!, the rich druggist, *ooedme, Luring me *ith the promise o. leisure .or mynovel, And % married him, giving birth to eightchildren, And had no time to *rite& %t *as all over *ithme, any*ay, )hen % ran the needle in my hand )hile*ashing the baby0s things, And died .rom loc!<+a*, anironical death& Hear me, ambitious souls, Se/ is thecurse o. li.e&

-eorge $rimble

(o you remember *hen % stood on the steps 4. theCourt House and tal!ed .ree=silver, And the single=ta/ o.Henry -eorge; $hen do you remember that, *hen the



"eerless Leader Lost the 2rst battle, % began to tal!prohibition, And became active in the church; $hat *asdue to my *i.e, )ho pictured to me my destruction %. %did not prove my morality to the people& )ell, she ruined

me: or the radicals gre* suspicious o. me, And theconservatives *ere never sure o. me< And here % lie,un*ept o. all&

5Ace5 Sha*

% 'E9ER sa* any di1erence Bet*een playing cards .ormoney And selling real estate, "racticing la*, ban!ing,

or anything else& or everything ischance& 'evertheless Seest thou a man diligent inbusiness; He shall stand be.ore 3ings?

)illard lu!e

M *i.e lost her health, And d*indled until she *eighedscarce ninety pounds& $hen that *oman, *hom themen Styled Cleopatra, came along& And *e<*e married

ones All bro!e our vo*s, mysel. among the rest& earspassed and one by one (eath claimed them all in somehideous .orm And % *as borne along by dreams 4. -od0sparticular grace .or me, And % began to *rite, *rite,*rite, reams on reams 4. the second coming o.Christ& $hen Christ came to me and said, 5-o into thechurch and stand be.ore the congregation And con.essyour sin&5 But +ust as % stood up and began to spea! %

sa* my little girl, *ho *as sitting in the .ront seat< Mylittle girl *ho *as born blind? A.ter that, all is blac!ness&

Aner Clute

49ER and over they used to as! me, )hile buying the



*ine or the beer, %n "eoria 2rst, and later inChicago, (enver, risco, 'e* or!, *herever % lived Ho*% happened to lead the li.e, And *hat *as the start o.it& )ell, % told them a sil! dress, And a promise o.

marriage .rom a rich man< D%t *as Lucius Atherton& Butthat *as not really it at all& Suppose a boy steals anapple rom the tray at the grocery store, And they allbegin to call him a thie., $he editor, minister, +udge, andall the people< 5A thie.,5 5a thie.,5 5a thie.,5 *herever hegoes And he can0t get *or!, and he can0t getbread )ithout stealing it, *hy the boy *ill steal& %t0s the*ay the people regard the the.t o. the apple $hat ma!es

the boy *hat he is&

Lucius Atherton

)HE' my moustache curled, And my hair *asblac!, And % *ore tight trousers And a diamond stud, %*as an e/cellent !nave o. hearts and too! many atric!& But *hen the gray hairs began to appear< Lo? ane* generation o. girls Laughed at me, not .earingme, And % had no more e/citing adventures )herein %*as all but shot .or a heartless devil, But only drabbya1airs, *armed=over a1airs 4. other days and othermen& And time *ent on until % lived at Mayer0srestaurant, "arta!ing o. short=orders, a gray,untidy, $oothless, discarded, rural (on uan& & & & $here isa mighty shade here *ho sings 4. one namedBeatrice> And % see no* that the .orce that made him

great (rove me to the dregs o. li.e&

Homer Clapp

4$E' Aner Clute at the gate Re.used me the parting!iss, Saying *e should be engaged be.ore that> And +ust



*ith a distant clasp o. the hand She bade me good=night,as % brought her home rom the s!ating rin! or therevival& 'o sooner did my departing .ootsteps diea*ay $han Lucius Atherton, DSo % learned *hen Aner

*ent to "eoria Stole in at her *indo*, or too! herriding Behind his span!ing team o. bays %nto thecountry& $he shoc! o. it made me settle do*n And % putall the money % got .rom my .ather0s estate %nto thecanning .actory, to get the +ob 4. head accountant, andlost it all& And then % !ne* % *as one o. Li.e0s.ools, )hom only death *ould treat as the eual 4.other men, ma!ing me .eel li!e a man&

(eacon $aylor

% BEL4'-E( to the church, And to the party o.prohibition> And the villagers thought % died o. eating*atermelon& %n truth % had cirrhosis o. the liver, orevery noon .or thirty years, % slipped behind theprescription partition %n $rainor0s drug store And poureda generous drin! rom the bottle mar!ed 5Spiritus.rumenti&5

Sam Hoo!ey

% RA' a*ay .rom home *ith the circus, Having .allen inlove *ith Mademoiselle Estralada, $he lion tamer& 4netime, having starved the lions or more than a day, %entered the cage and began to beat Brutus And Leo and

-ypsy& )hereupon Brutus sprang upon me, And !illedme& 4n entering these regions % met a shado* *hocursed me, And said it served me right& & & & %t *asRobespierre?

Cooney "otter



% %'HER%$E( .orty acres .rom my ather And, by *or!ingmy *i.e, my t*o sons and t*o daughters rom da*n todus!, % acuired A thousand acres& But notcontent, )ishing to o*n t*o thousand acres, % bustled

through the years *ith a/e and plo*, $oiling, denyingmysel., my *i.e, my sons, my daughters& Suire Higbee*rongs me to say $hat % died .rom smo!ing Red Eaglecigars& Eating hot pie and gulping co1ee (uring thescorching hours o. harvest time Brought me here ere %had reached my si/tieth year&

iddler ones

$HE earth !eeps some vibration going $here in yourheart, and that is you& And i. the people 2nd you can2ddle, )hy, 2ddle you must, .or all your li.e& )hat doyou see, a harvest o. clover; 4r a meado* to *al!through to the river; $he *ind0s in the corn> you rub yourhands or beeves herea.ter ready .or mar!et> 4r elseyou hear the rustle o. s!irts Li!e the girls *hen dancingat Little -rove& $o Cooney "otter a pillar o. dust 4r*hirling leaves meant ruinous drouth> $hey loo!ed to meli!e Red=Head Sammy Stepping it o1, to 5$oor=a=Loor&5 Ho* could % till my .orty acres 'ot to spea! o.getting more, )ith a medley o. horns, bassoons andpiccolos Stirred in my brain by cro*s and robins And thecrea! o. a *ind=mill<only these; And % never started toplo* in my li.e $hat some one did not stop in theroad And ta!e me a*ay to a dance or picnic& % ended up

*ith .orty acres> % ended up *ith a bro!en 2ddle< And abro!en laugh, and a thousand memories, And not asingle regret&

'ellie Clar!



% )AS only eight years old> And be.ore % gre* up and!ne* *hat it meant % had no *ords .or it, e/cept $hat %*as .rightened and told my Mother> And that my athergot a pistol And *ould have !illed Charlie, *ho *as a big

boy, i.teen years old, e/cept .or hisMother& 'evertheless the story clung to me& But the man*ho married me, a *ido*er o. thirty=2ve, )as ane*comer and never heard it 0$ill t*o years a.ter *e*ere married& $hen he considered himsel. cheated, Andthe village agreed that % *as not really a virgin& )ell, hedeserted me, and % died $he .ollo*ing *inter&

Louise Smith

HERBER$ bro!e our engagement o. eight years )henAnnabelle returned to the village rom the Seminary, ahme? %. % had let my love .or him alone %t might havegro*n into a beauti.ul sorro*< )ho !no*s;<2lling myli.e *ith healing .ragrance& But % tortured it, % poisonedit % blinded its eyes, and it became hatred< (eadly ivyinstead o. clematis& And my soul .ell .rom its support %tstendrils tangled in decay& (o not let the *ill playgardener to your soul 8nless you are sure %t is *iserthan your soul0s nature&

Herbert Marshall

ALL your sorro*, Louise, and hatred o. me Sprang .romyour delusion that it *as *antonness 4. spirit and

contempt o. your soul0s rights )hich made me turn toAnnabelle and .orsa!e you& ou really gre* to hate me.or love o. me, Because % *as your soul0shappiness, ormed and tempered $o solve your li.e .oryou, and *ould not& But you *ere my misery& %. you hadbeen My happiness *ould % not have clung to you; $his



is li.e0s sorro*: $hat one can be happy only *here t*oare> And that our hearts are dra*n to stars )hich *antus not&

-eorge -ray

% HA9E studied many times $he marble *hich *aschiseled .or me< A boat *ith a .urled sail at rest in aharbor& %n truth it pictures not my destination But myli.e& or love *as o1ered me and % shran! .rom itsdisillusionment> Sorro* !noc!ed at my door, but % *asa.raid> Ambition called to me, but % dreaded the

chances& et all the *hile % hungered .or meaning in myli.e& And no* % !no* that *e must li.t the sail And catchthe *inds o. destiny )herever they drive the boat& $oput meaning in one0s li.e may end in madness, But li.e*ithout meaning is the torture 4. restlessness and vaguedesire< %t is a boat longing .or the sea and yet a.raid&

Hon& Henry Bennett

%$ never came into my mind 8ntil % *as ready todie $hat enny had loved me to death, *ith malice o.heart& or % *as seventy, she *as thirty<2ve, And % *oremysel. to a shado* trying to husband enny, rosy enny.ull o. the ardor o. li.e& or all my *isdom and grace o.mind -ave her no delight at all, in very truth, But everand anon she spo!e o. the giant strength 4. )illardSha.er, and o. his *onder.ul .eat 4. li.ting a traction

engine out o. the ditch 4ne time at -eorgie 3irby0s& So enny inherited my .ortune and married )illard< $hatmount o. bra*n? $hat clo*nish soul?

-ri1y the Cooper



$HE cooper should !no* about tubs& But % learnedabout li.e as *ell, And you *ho loiter around thesegraves $hin! you !no* li.e& ou thin! your eye s*eepsabout a *ide hori#on, perhaps, %n truth you are only

loo!ing around the interior o. your tub& ou cannot li.tyoursel. to its rim And see the outer *orld o. things, Andat the same time see yoursel.& ou are submerged in thetub o. yoursel.< $aboos and rules and appearances, Arethe staves o. your tub& Brea! them and dispel the*itchcra.t 4. thin!ing your tub is li.e And that you !no*li.e&

A& (& Blood

% 48 in the village thin! that my *or! *as a goodone, )ho closed the saloons and stopped all playing atcards, And haled old (aisy raser be.ore usticeArnett, %n many a crusade to purge the people o.sin> )hy do you let the milliner0s daughter (ora, And the*orthless son o. Ben+amin "antier 'ightly ma!e mygrave their unholy pillo*;

(ora )illiams

)HE' Reuben "antier ran a*ay and thre* me % *ent toSpring2eld& $here % met a lush, )hose .ather +ustdeceased le.t him a .ortune& He married me *hendrun!& My li.e *as *retched& A year passed and one daythey .ound him dead& $hat made me rich& % moved on to

Chicago& A.ter a time met $yler Rountree, villain& %moved on to 'e* or!& A gray=haired magnate )ent madabout me<so another .ortune& He died one night right inmy arms, you !no*& D% sa* his purple .ace .or yearstherea.ter& $here *as almost a scandal& % moved on,

$his time to "aris& % *as no* a *oman, %nsidious, subtle,



versed in the *orld and rich& My s*eet apartment nearthe Champs Elysees Became a center .or all sorts o.people, Musicians, poets, dandies, artists, nobles, )here*e spo!e rench and -erman, %talian, English& % *ed

Count 'avigato, native o. -enoa& )e *ent to Rome& Hepoisoned me, % thin!& 'o* in the Campo Santooverloo!ing $he sea *here young Columbus dreamedne* *orlds, See *hat they chiseled: 5Contessa'avigato %mplora eterna uiete&5

Mrs& )illiams

% )AS the milliner $al!ed about, lied about, Mother o.(ora, )hose strange disappearance )as charged to herrearing& My eye uic! to beauty Sa* much besideribbons And buc!les and .eathers And leghorns and.elts, $o set o1 s*eet .aces, And dar! hair andgold& 4ne thing % *ill tell you And one % *ill as!: $hestealers o. husbands )ear po*der and trin!ets, And.ashionable hats& )ives, *ear them yourselves& Hatsmay ma!e divorces< $hey also prevent them& )ell no*,let me as! you: %. all o. the children, born here in SpoonRiver Had been reared by the County, some*here on a.arm> And the .athers and mothers had been given their.reedom $o live and en+oy, change mates i. they*ished, (o you thin! that Spoon River Had been any the*orse;

)illiam and Emily

$HERE is something about (eath Li!e love itsel.? %. *ithsome one *ith *hom you have !no*n passion And theglo* o. youth.ul love, ou also, a.ter years o.li.e $ogether, .eel the sin!ing o. the 2re And thus .adea*ay together, -radually, .aintly, delicately, As it *ere



in each other0s arms, "assing .rom the .amiliar room< $hat is a po*er o. unison bet*een souls Li!e loveitsel.?

$he Circuit udge

$A3E note, passers=by, o. the sharp erosions Eaten inmy head=stone by the *ind and rain< Almost as i. anintangible 'emesis or hatred )ere mar!ing scoresagainst me, But to destroy, and not preserve, mymemory& % in li.e *as the Circuit +udge, a ma!er o.notches, (eciding cases on the points the la*yers

scored, 'ot on the right o. the matter& 4 *ind and rain,leave my head=stone alone or *orse than the anger o.the *ronged, $he curses o. the poor, )as to liespeechless, yet *ith vision clear, Seeing that even Hod"utt, the murderer, Hanged by my sentence, )asinnocent in soul compared *ith me&

Blind ac!

% HA( 2ddled all day at the county .air& But drivinghome 5Butch5 )eldy and ac! Mc-uire, )ho *ere roaring.ull, made me 2ddle and 2ddle $o the song o. SusieS!inner, *hile *hipping the horses $ill they ran a*ay&Blind as % *as, % tried to get out As the carriage .ell in theditch, And *as caught in the *heels and !illed& $here0s ablind man here *ith a bro* As big and *hite as acloud& And all *e 2ddlers, .rom highest to

lo*est, )riters o. music and tellers o. stories Sit at his.eet, And hear him sing o. the .all o. $roy&

ohn Horace Burleson

% )4' the pri#e essay at school Here in the village, And



published a novel be.ore % *as t*enty=2ve& % *ent to thecity .or themes and to enrich my art> $here married theban!er0s daughter, And later became president o. theban!< Al*ays loo!ing .or*ard to some leisure $o *rite

an epic novel o. the *ar& Mean*hile .riend o. the great,and lover o. letters, And host to Matthe* Arnold and toEmerson& An a.ter dinner spea!er, *riting essays orlocal clubs& At last brought here< My boyhood home,you !no*< 'ot even a little tablet in Chicago $o !eepmy name alive& Ho* great it is to *rite the singleline: 5Roll on, thou deep and dar! blue 4cean, roll?5

'ancy 3napp

)ELL, don0t you see this *as the *ay o. it: )e boughtthe .arm *ith *hat he inherited, And his brothers andsisters accused him o. poisoning His .athers mind againstthe rest o. them& And *e never had any peace *ith ourtreasure& $he murrain too! the cattle, and the crops.ailed& And lightning struc! the granary& So *emortgaged the .arm to !eep going& And he gre* silentand *as *orried all the time& $hen some o. theneighbors re.used to spea! to us, And too! sides *ith hisbrothers and sisters& And % had no place to turn, as onemay say to himsel., At an earlier time in li.e> 5'o matter,So and so is my .riend, or % can sha!e this o1 )ith a littletrip to (ecatur&5 $hen the dread.ulest smells in.ested therooms& So % set 2re to the beds and the old *itch=house )ent up in a roar o. 7ame, As % danced in the

yard *ith *aving arms, )hile he *ept li!e a .ree#ingsteer&

Barry Holden

$HE very .all my sister 'ancy 3napp Set 2re to the



house $hey *ere trying (r& (uval or the murder o. 6oraClemens, And % sat in the court t*o *ee!s Listening toevery *itness& %t *as clear he had got her in a.amily And to let the child be born )ould not do& )ell,

ho* about me *ith eight children, And one coming, andthe .arm Mortgaged to $homas Rhodes; And *hen % gothome that night, DA.ter listening to the story o. the buggyride, And the 2nding o. 6ora in the ditch, $he 2rst thing% sa*, right there by the steps, )here the boys hadhac!ed .or angle *orms, )as the hatchet? And +ust as %entered there *as my *i.e, Standing be.ore me, big *ithchild& She started the tal! o. the mortgaged .arm, And %

!illed her&

State0s Attorney allas

%, $HE scourge=*ielder, balance=*rec!er, Smiter *ith*hips and s*ords> %, hater o. the brea!ers o. the la*> %,legalist, ine/orable and bitter, (riving the +ury to hangthe madman, Barry Holden, )as made as one dead bylight too bright .or eyes, And *o!e to .ace a $ruth *ithbloody bro*: Steel .orceps .umbled by a doctor0shand Against my boy0s head as he entered li.e Made himan idiot& % turned to boo!s o. science $o care .orhim& $hat0s ho* the *orld o. those *hose minds aresic! Became my *or! in li.e, and all my *orld& "oorruined boy? ou *ere, at last, the potter And % and all mydeeds o. charity $he vessels o. your hand&

)endell "& Bloyd

$HE 2rst charged me *ith disorderly conduct, $herebeing no statute on blasphemy& Later they loc!ed me upas insane )here % *as beaten to death by a Catholicguard& My o1ense *as this: % said -od lied to Adam, and



destined him $o lead the li.e o. a .ool, %gnorant thatthere is evil in the *orld as *ell as good& And *henAdam out*itted -od by eating the apple And sa*through the lie, -od drove him out o. Eden to !eep him

.rom ta!ing $he .ruit o. immortal li.e& or Christ0s sa!e,you sensible people, Here0s *hat -od Himsel. says aboutit in the boo! o. -enesis: 5And the Lord -od said, beholdthe man %s become as one o. us5 Da little envy, yousee, 5$o !no* good and evil5 D$he all=is=good liee/posed: 5And no* lest he put .orth his hand andta!e Also o. the tree o. li.e and eat, and live.orever: $here.ore the Lord -od sent Him .orth .rom the

garden o. Eden&5 D$he reason % believe -od cruci2ed His4*n Son $o get out o. the *retched tangle is, because itsounds +ust li!e Him&

rancis $urner

% C48L( not run or play %n boyhood& %n manhood %could only sip the cup, 'ot drin!<or scarlet=.ever le.tmy heart diseased& et % lie here Soothed by a secretnone but Mary !no*s: $here is a garden o.acacia, Catalpa trees, and arbors s*eet *ith vines< $here on that a.ternoon in une By Mary0s side< 3issing her *ith my soul upon my lips %t suddenlytoo! 7ight&

ran!lin ones

% % could have lived another year % could have 2nishedmy 7ying machine, And become rich and .amous& Henceit is 2tting the *or!man )ho tried to chisel a dove .orme Made it loo! more li!e a chic!en& or *hat is it all butbeing hatched, And running about the yard, $o the dayo. the bloc!; Save that a man has an angel0s brain, And



sees the a/ .rom the 2rst?

ohn M& Church

% )AS attorney .or the 55 And the %ndemnity Company*hich insured $he o*ners o. the mine& % pulled the *ires*ith +udge and +ury, And the upper courts, to beat theclaims 4. the crippled, the *ido* and orphan, And madea .ortune thereat& $he bar association sang mypraises %n a high=7o*n resolution& And the 7oral tributes*ere many< But the rats devoured my heart And asna!e made a nest in my s!ull

Russian Sonia

%, B4R' in )eimar 4. a mother *ho *as rench And-erman .ather, a most learned pro.essor, 4rphaned at.ourteen years, Became a dancer, !no*n as RussianSonia, All up and do*n the boulevards o. "aris, Mistressbetimes o. sundry du!es and counts, And later o. poorartists and o. poets& At .orty years, passe, % sought 'e*

or! And met old "atric! Hummer on the boat, Red=.aced and hale, though turned his si/tiethyear, Returning a.ter having sold a ship=load 4. cattle inthe -erman city, Hamburg& He brought me to SpoonRiver and *e lived here or t*enty years<they thoughtthat *e *ere married $his oa! tree near me is the.avorite haunt 4. blue +ays chattering, chattering all theday& And *hy not; .or my very dust is laughing or

thin!ing o. the humorous thing called li.e& BarneyHains.eather

% the e/cursion train to "eoria Had +ust been *rec!ed, %might have escaped *ith my li.e< Certainly % shouldhave escaped this place& But as it *as burned as *ell,



they mistoo! me or ohn Allen *ho *as sent to theHebre* Cemetery At Chicago, And ohn .or me, so % liehere& %t *as bad enough to run a clothing store in thisto*n, But to be buried here<ach?

"etit, the "oet

SEE(S in a dry pod, tic!, tic!, tic!, $ic!, tic!, tic!, li!emites in a uarrel< aint iambics that the .ull bree#e*a!ens< But the pine tree ma!es a symphonythereo.& $riolets, villanelles, rondels, rondeaus, Balladesby the score *ith the same old thought: $he sno*s and

the roses o. yesterday are vanished> And *hat is love buta rose that .ades; Li.e all around me here in thevillage: $ragedy, comedy, valor and truth, Courage,constancy, heroism, .ailure< All in the loom, and oh*hat patterns? )oodlands, meado*s, streams and rivers< Blind to all o. it all my li.e long& $riolets, villanelles,rondels, rondeaus, Seeds in a dry pod, tic!, tic!, tic!,

$ic!, tic!, tic!, *hat little iambics, )hile Homer and)hitman roared in the pines;

"auline Barrett

ALM4S$ the shell o. a *oman a.ter the surgeon0s!ni.e And almost a year to creep bac! into strength, $illthe da*n o. our *edding decennial ound me myseeming sel. again& )e *al!ed the .orest together, By apath o. soundless moss and tur.& But % could not loo! in

your eyes, And you could not loo! in my eyes, or suchsorro* *as ours<the beginning o. gray in your hair& And% but a shell o. mysel.& And *hat did *e tal! o.;<s!y and*ater, Anything, 0most, to hide our thoughts& And thenyour gi.t o. *ild roses, Set on the table to grace ourdinner& "oor heart, ho* bravely you struggled $o



imagine and live a remembered rapture? $hen my spiritdrooped as the night came on, And you le.t me alone inmy room .or a *hile, As you did *hen % *as a bride, poorheart& And % loo!ed in the mirror and something

said: 54ne should be all dead *hen one is hal.=dead<5 'or ever moc! li.e, nor ever cheat love&5 And % did itloo!ing there in the mirror< (ear, have you everunderstood;

Mrs& Charles Bliss

RE9ERE'( )%LE advised me not to divorce him or

the sa!e o. the children, And udge Somers advised himthe same& So *e stuc! to the end o. the path& But t*o o. the children thought he *as right, And t*o o. thechildren thought % *as right& And the t*o *ho sided *ithhim blamed me, And the t*o *ho sided *ith me blamedhim, And they grieved .or the one they sided *ith& Andall *ere torn *ith the guilt o. +udging, And tortured insoul because they could not admire Eually him andme& 'o* every gardener !no*s that plants gro*n incellars 4r under stones are t*isted and yello* and*ea!& And no mother *ould let her baby suc! (iseasedmil! .rom her breast& et preachers and +udges advisethe raising o. souls )here there is no sunlight, but onlyt*ilight, 'o *armth, but only dampness and cold< "reachers and +udges?

Mrs& -eorge Reece

$o this generation % *ould say: Memori#e some bit o.verse o. truth or beauty& %t may serve a turn in yourli.e& My husband had nothing to do )ith the .all o. theban!<he *as only cashier& $he *rec! *as due to thepresident, $homas Rhodes, And his vain, unscrupulous



son& et my husband *as sent to prison, And % *as le.t*ith the children, $o .eed and clothe and schoolthem& And % did it, and sent them .orth %nto the *orld allclean and strong, And all through the *isdom o. "ope,

the poet: 5Act *ell your part, there all the honor lies&5

Rev& Lemuel )iley

% "REACHE( .our thousand sermons, % conducted .ortyrevivals, And bapti#ed many converts& et no deed o.mine Shines brighter in the memory o. the *orld, Andnone is treasured more by me: Loo! ho* % saved the

Blisses .rom divorce, And !ept the children .ree .rom thatdisgrace, $o gro* up into moral men and *omen, Happythemselves, a credit to the village&

$homas Ross, r&

$H%S % sa* *ith my o*n eyes: A cli1<s*allo* Made hernest in a hole o. the high clay=ban! $here near Miller0sord& But no sooner *ere the young hatched $han a

sna!e cra*led up to the nest $o devour the brood& $henthe mother s*allo* *ith s*i.t 7utterings And shrillcries ought at the sna!e, Blinding him *ith the beat o.her *ings, 8ntil he, *riggling and rearing his head, ellbac!*ard do*n the ban! %nto Spoon River and *asdro*ned& Scarcely an hour passed 8ntil ashri!e %mpaled the mother s*allo* on a thorn& As .ormysel. % overcame my lo*er nature 4nly to be destroyed

by my brother0s ambition&

Rev& Abner "eet

% HA( no ob+ection at all $o selling my household e1ectsat auction 4n the village suare& %t gave my beloved



7oc! the chance $o get something *hich had belonged tome or a memorial& But that trun! *hich *as struc!o1 $o Burchard, the grog=!eeper? (id you !no* itcontained the manuscripts 4. a li.etime o. sermons; And

he burned them as *aste paper&

e1erson Ho*ard

M valiant 2ght? or % call it valiant, )ith my .ather0sbelie.s .rom old 9irginia: Hating slavery, but no less*ar& %, .ull o. spirit, audacity, courage $hro*n into li.ehere in Spoon River, )ith its dominant .orces dra*n

.rom 'e* England, Republicans, Calvinists, merchants,ban!ers, Hating me, yet .earing my arm& )ith *i.e andchildren heavy to carry< et .ruits o. my very #est o.li.e& Stealing odd pleasures that cost me prestige, Andreaping evils % had not so*n> oe o. the church *ith itscharnel dan!ness, riend o. the human touch o. thetavern> $angled *ith .ates all alien to me, (eserted byhands % called my o*n& $hen +ust as % .elt my giantstrength Short o. breath, behold my children Had *oundtheir lives in stranger gardens< And % stood alone, as %started alone My valiant li.e? % died on my .eet, acingthe silence<.acing the prospect $hat no one *ould !no*o. the 2ght % made&

Albert Schirding

4'AS 3EE'E thought his lot a hard one Because his

children *ere all .ailures& But % !no* o. a .ate more tryingthan that: %t is to be a .ailure *hile your children aresuccesses& or % raised a brood o. eagles )ho 7e* a*ayat last, leaving me A cro* on the abandonedbough& $hen, *ith the ambition to pre2/ Honorable tomy name, And thus to *in my children0s admiration, %



ran .or County Superintendent o. Schools, Spending myaccumulations to *in<and lost& $hat .all my daughterreceived 2rst pri#e in "aris or her picture, entitled, 5$he4ld Mill5< D%t *as o. the *ater mill be.ore Henry )il!in

put in steam& $he .eeling that % *as not *orthy o. her2nished me&

onas 3eene

)H did Albert Schirding !ill himsel. $rying to beCounty Superintendent o. Schools, Blest as he *as *iththe means o. li.e And *onder.ul children, bringing him

honor Ere he *as si/ty; %. even one o. my boys couldhave run a ne*s=stand, 4r one o. my girls could havemarried a decent man, % should not have *al!ed in therain And +umped into bed *ith clothes all *et, Re.usingmedical aid&

ee Bo*

$HE got me into the Sunday=school %n Spoon River And

tried to get me to drop Con.ucius .or esus& % could havebeen no *orse o1 %. % had tried to get them to drop esus.or Con.ucius& or, *ithout any *arning, as i. it *ere apran!, And snea!ing up behind me, Harry )iley, $heminister0s son, caved my ribs into my lungs, )ith a blo*o. his 2st& 'o* % shall never sleep *ith my ancestors in"e!in, And no children shall *orship at my grave&

)ashington Mc'eely

R%CH, honored by my .ello* citi#ens, $he .ather o. manychildren, born o. a noble mother, All raised there %n thegreat mansion<house, at the edge o. to*n& 'ote thecedar tree on the la*n? % sent all the boys to Ann Arbor,



all o. the girls to Roc!.ord, $he *hile my li.e *ent on,getting more riches and honors< Resting under mycedar tree at evening& $he years *ent on& % sent the girlsto Europe> % do*ered them *hen married& % gave the

boys money to start in business& $hey *ere strongchildren, promising as apples Be.ore the bitten placessho*& But ohn 7ed the country in disgrace& enny died inchild=birth< % sat under my cedar tree& Harry !illedhimsel. a.ter a debauch, Susan *as divorced< % satunder my cedar tree& "aul *as invalided .rom overstudy, Mary became a recluse at home .or love o. a man< % sat under my cedar tree& All *ere gone, or bro!en=

*inged or devoured by li.e< % sat under my cedartree& My mate, the mother o. them, *as ta!en< % satunder my cedar tree, $ill ninety years *ere tolled& 4maternal Earth, *hich roc!s the .allen lea. to sleep&

Mary Mc'eely

"ASSER=B, $o love is to 2nd your o*n soul $hrough thesoul o. the beloved one& )hen the beloved one*ithdra*s itsel. .rom your soul $hen you have lost yoursoul& %t is *ritten: 5l have a .riend, But my sorro* has no.riend&5 Hence my long years o. solitude at the home o.my .ather, $rying to get mysel. bac!, And to turn mysorro* into a supremer sel.& But there *as my .ather *ithhis sorro*s, Sitting under the cedar tree, A picture thatsan! into my heart at last Bringing in2nite repose& 4h,ye souls *ho have made li.e ragrant and *hite as tube

roses rom earth0s dar! soil, Eternal peace?

(aniel M0Cumber

)HE' % *ent to the city, Mary Mc'eely, % meant toreturn .or you, yes % did& But Laura, my landlady0s



daughter, Stole into my li.e someho*, and *on mea*ay& $hen a.ter some years *hom should % meet But-eorgine Miner .rom 'iles<a sprout 4. the .ree love,ourierist gardens that 7ourished Be.ore the *ar all over

4hio& Her dilettante lover had tired o. her, And sheturned to me .or strength and solace& She *as some !indo. a crying thing 4ne ta!es in one0s arms, and all atonce %t slimes your .ace *ith its running nose, And voidsits essence all over you> $hen bites your hand andsprings a*ay& And there you stand bleeding and smellingto heaven )hy, Mary Mc'eely, % *as not *orthy $o !issthe hem o. your robe?

-eorgine Sand Miner

A S$E"M4$HER drove me .rom home, embitteringme& A sua*=man, a 7aneur and dilettante too! myvirtue& or years % *as his mistress<no one !ne*& %learned .rom him the parasite cunning )ith *hich %moved *ith the blu1s, li!e a 7ea on a dog& All the time %*as nothing but 5very private,5 *ith di1erent men& $hen(aniel, the radical, had me .or years& His sister called mehis mistress> And (aniel *rote me: 5Shame.ul *ord,soiling our beauti.ul love?5 But my anger coiled,preparing its .angs& My Lesbian .riend ne/t too! ahand& She hated (aniel0s sister& And (aniel despised hermidget husband& And she sa* a chance .or a poisonousthrust: % must complain to the *i.e o. (aniel0spursuit? But be.ore % did that % begged him to 7y to

London *ith me& 5)hy not stay in the city +ust as *ehave;5 he as!ed& $hen % turned submarine and revengedhis repulse %n the arms o. my dilettante .riend& $hen upto the sur.ace, Bearing the letter that (aniel *rote me $oprove my honor *as all intact, sho*ing it to his *i.e, MyLesbian .riend and everyone& %. (aniel had only shot me



dead? %nstead o. stripping me na!ed o. lies A harlot inbody and soul&

$homas Rhodes

9ER *ell, you liberals, And navigators into realmsintellectual, ou sailors through heightsimaginative, Blo*n about by erratic currents, tumblinginto air poc!ets, ou Margaret uller Slac!s, "etits, And

$ennessee Cla7in Shopes< ou .ound *ith all yourboasted *isdom Ho* hard at the last it is $o !eep thesoul .rom splitting into cellular atoms& )hile *e, see!ers

o. earth0s treasures -etters and hoarders o. gold, Aresel.=contained, compact, harmoni#ed, Even to the end&

"enni*it, the Artist

% L4S$ my patronage in Spoon River rom trying to putmy mind in the camera $o catch the soul o. theperson& $he very best picture % ever too! )as o. udgeSomers, attorney at la*& He sat upright and had me

pause $ill he got his cross=eye straight& $hen *hen he*as ready he said 5all right&5 And % yelled 5overruled5 andhis eye turned up& And % caught him +ust as he used toloo! )hen saying 5% e/cept&5

im Bro*n

)H%LE % *as handling (om "edro % got at the thing that

divides the race bet*een men *ho are or singing5$ur!ey in the stra*5 or 5$here is a .ountain 2lled *ithblood5< DLi!e Rile "otter used to sing it over atConcord& or cards, or .or Rev& "eet0s lecture on the holyland> or s!ipping the light .antastic, or passing theplate> or "ina.ore, or a Sunday school cantata> or men,



or .or money> or the people or against them& $his *asit: Rev& "eet and the Social "urity Club, Headed by Ben"antier0s *i.e, )ent to the 9illage trustees, And as!edthem to ma!e me ta!e (om "edro rom the barn o. )ash

Mc'eely, there at the edge o. to*n, $o a barn outside o.the corporation, 4n the ground that it corrupted publicmorals& )ell, Ben "antier and iddler ones saved the day< $hey thought it a slam on colts&

Robert (avidson

% -RE) spiritually .at living o1 the souls o. men& %. % sa*

a soul that *as strong % *ounded its pride and devouredits strength& $he shelters o. .riendship !ne* mycunning or *here % could steal a .riend % did so& And*herever % could enlarge my po*er By underminingambition, % did so, $hus to ma!e smooth my o*n& And totriumph over other souls, ust to assert and prove mysuperior strength, )as *ith me a delight, $he !eene/hilaration o. soul gymnastics& (evouring souls, % shouldhave lived .orever& But their undigested remains bred inme a deadly nephritis, )ith .ear, restlessness, sin!ingspirits, Hatred, suspicion, vision disturbed& % collapsed atlast *ith a shrie!& Remember the acorn> %t does notdevour other acorns&

Elsa )ertman

% )AS a peasant girl .rom -ermany, Blue=eyed, rosy,

happy and strong& And the 2rst place % *or!ed *as at $homas -reene0s& 4n a summer0s day *hen she *asa*ay He stole into the !itchen and too! me Right in hisarms and !issed me on my throat, % turning my head&

$hen neither o. us Seemed to !no* *hat happened& And% cried .or *hat *ould become o. me& And cried and cried



as my secret began to sho*& 4ne day Mrs& -reene saidshe understood, And *ould ma!e no trouble .orme, And, being childless, *ould adopt it& DHe had givenher a .arm to be still& So she hid in the house and sent

out rumors, As i. it *ere going to happen to her& And all*ent *ell and the child *as born< $hey *ere so !ind tome& Later % married -us )ertman, and years passed& But<at political rallies *hen sitters=by thought % *ascrying At the elouence o. Hamilton -reene< $hat *asnot it& 'o? % *anted to say: $hat0s my son? $hat0s myson&

Hamilton -reene

% )AS the only child o. rances Harris o. 9irginia And $homas -reene o. 3entuc!y, 4. valiant and honorableblood both& $o them % o*e all that % became, udge,member o. Congress, leader in the State& rom mymother % inherited 9ivacity, .ancy, language> rom my.ather *ill, +udgment, logic& All honor to them or *hatservice % *as to the people?

Ernest Hyde

M mind *as a mirror: %t sa* *hat it sa*, it !ne* *hatit !ne*& %n youth my mind *as +ust a mirror %n a rapidly7ying car, )hich catches and loses bits o. thelandscape& $hen in time -reat scratches *ere made onthe mirror, Letting the outside *orld come in, And letting

my inner sel. loo! out& or this is the birth o. the soul insorro*, A birth *ith gains and losses& $he mind sees the*orld as a thing apart, And the soul ma!es the *orld atone *ith itsel.& A mirror scratched re7ects no image< And this is the silence o. *isdom&



Roger Heston

4H many times did Ernest Hyde and % Argue about the.reedom o. the *ill& My .avorite metaphor *as "ric!ett0s

co* Roped out to grass, and .ree you !no* as .ar As thelength o. the rope& 4ne day *hile arguing so, *atchingthe co* "ull at the rope to get beyond the circle )hichshe had eaten bare, 4ut came the sta!e, and tossing upher head, She ran .or us& 5)hat0s that, .ree=*ill or*hat;5 said Ernest, running& % .ell +ust as she gored me tomy death&

Amos Sibley

'4$ character, not .ortitude, not patience )ere mine,the *hich the village thought % had %n bearing *ith my*i.e, *hile preaching on, (oing the *or! -od chose .orme& % loathed her as a termagant, as a *anton& % !ne* o. her adulteries, every one& But even so, i. % divorced the*oman % must .orsa!e the ministry& $here.ore to do-od0s *or! and have it crop, % bore *ith her So lied % tomysel. So lied % to Spoon River? et % tried lecturing, ran.or the legislature, Canvassed .or boo!s, *ith +ust thethought in mind: %. % ma!e money thus, % *ill divorce her&

Mrs& Sibley

$HE secret o. the stars<gravitation& $he secret o. theearth<layers o. roc!& $he secret o. the soil<to receive

seed& $he secret o. the seed<the germ& $he secret o.man<the so*er& $he secret o. *oman<the soil& Mysecret: 8nder a mound that you shall never 2nd&

Adam )eirauch



% )AS crushed bet*een Altgeld and Armour& % lost many.riends, much time and money ighting .or Altgeld *homEditor )hedon (enounced as the candidate o. gamblersand anarchists& $hen Armour started to ship dressed

meat to Spoon River, orcing me to shut do*n myslaughter=house And my butcher shop *ent all topieces& $he ne* .orces o. Altgeld and Armour caughtme At the same time& % thought it due me, to recoup themoney % lost And to ma!e good the .riends that le.tme, or the -overnor to appoint me CanalCommissioner& %nstead he appointed )hedon o. theSpoon River Argus, So % ran .or the legislature and *as

elected& % said to hell *ith principle and sold my vote 4nCharles $& er!es0 street=car .ranchise& 4. course % *asone o. the .ello*s they caught& )ho *as it, Armour,Altgeld or mysel. $hat ruined me;

E#ra Bartlett

A CHA"LA%' in the army, A chaplain in the prisons, Ane/horter in Spoon River, (run! *ith divinity, Spoon River< et bringing poor Eli#a ohnson to shame, And mysel.to scorn and *retchedness& But *hy *ill you never seethat love o. *omen, And even love o. *ine, Are thestimulants by *hich the soul, hungering .ordivinity, Reaches the ecstatic vision And sees thecelestial outposts; 4nly a.ter many trials .orstrength, 4nly *hen all stimulants .ail, (oes the aspiringsoul By its o*n sheer po*er ind the divine By resting

upon itsel.&

Amelia -arric!

ES, here % lie close to a stunted rose bush %n a.orgotten place near the .ence )here the thic!ets .rom



Siever0s *oods Have crept over, gro*ing sparsely& Andyou, you are a leader in 'e* or!, $he *i.e o. a notedmillionaire, A name in the society columns, Beauti.ul,admired, magni2ed perhaps By the mirage o.

distance& ou have succeeded, % have .ailed %n the eyeso. the *orld& ou are alive, % am dead& et % !no* that %vanuished your spirit> And % !no* that lying here .ar.rom you, 8nheard o. among your great .riends %n thebrilliant *orld *here you move, % am really theunconuerable po*er over your li.e $hat robs it o.complete triumph&

ohn Hancoc! 4tis

As to democracy, .ello* citi#ens, Are you not preparedto admit $hat %, *ho inherited riches and *as to themanor born, )as second to none in Spoon River %n mydevotion to the cause o. Liberty; )hile mycontemporary, Anthony indlay, Born in a shanty andbeginning li.e As a *ater carrier to the sectionhands, $hen becoming a section hand *hen he *asgro*n, A.ter*ards .oreman o. the gang, until he rose $othe superintendency o. the railroad, Living inChicago, )as a veritable slave driver, -rinding the .aceso. labor, And a bitter enemy o. democracy& And % say toyou, Spoon River, And to you, 4 republic, Be*are o. theman *ho rises to po*er rom one suspender&

$he 8n!no*n

E aspiring ones, listen to the story o. theun!no*n )ho lies here *ith no stone to mar! theplace& As a boy rec!less and *anton, )andering *ithgun in hand through the .orest 'ear the mansion o.Aaron Hat2eld, % shot a ha*! perched on the top 4. a



dead tree& He .ell *ith guttural cry At my .eet, his *ingbro!en& $hen % put him in a cage )here he lived manydays ca*ing angrily at me )hen % o1ered him.ood& (aily % search the realms o. Hades or the soul o.

the ha*!, $hat % may o1er him the .riendship 4. one*hom li.e *ounded and caged& Ale/ander $hroc!morton

%' youth my *ings *ere strong and tireless, But % didnot !no* the mountains& %n age % !ne* themountains But my *eary *ings could not .ollo* myvision< -enius is *isdom and youth&

onathan S*i.t Somers DAuthor o. the Spooniad

A$ER you have enriched your soul $o the highestpoint, )ith boo!s, thought, su1ering, $he understandingo. many personalities, $he po*er to interpret glances,silences, $he pauses in momentoustrans.ormations, $he genius o. divination andprophecy> So that you .eel able at times to hold the*orld %n the hollo* o. your hand> $hen, i., by thecro*ding o. so many po*ers %nto the compass o. yoursoul, our soul ta!es 2re, And in the con7agration o.your soul $he evil o. the *orld is lighted up and madeclear< Be than!.ul i. in that hour o. supreme vision Li.edoes not 2ddle&

)ido* Mcarlane

% )AS the )ido* Mcarlane, )eaver o. carpets .or allthe village& And % pity you still at the loom o. li.e, ou*ho are singing to the shuttle And lovingly *atching the*or! o. your hands, %. you reach the day o. hate, o.terrible truth& or the cloth o. li.e is *oven, you !no*, $oa pattern hidden under the loom< A pattern you never



see? And you *eave high=hearted, singing, singing, ouguard the threads o. love and .riendship or noble 2guresin gold and purple& And long a.ter other eyes cansee ou have *oven a moon=*hite strip o. cloth, ou

laugh in your strength, .or Hope overlays it )ith shapeso. love and beauty& $he loom stops short? $he pattern0sout ou0re alone in the room? ou have *oven ashroud And hate o. it lays you in it&

Carl Hamblin

$HE press o. the Spoon River Clarion *as *rec!ed, And

% *as tarred and .eathered, or publishing this on the daythe Anarchists *ere hanged in Chicago: 5l sa* abeauti.ul *oman *ith bandaged eyes Standing on thesteps o. a marble temple& -reat multitudes passed in.ront o. her, Li.ting their .aces to her imploringly& %n herle.t hand she held a s*ord& She *as brandishing thes*ord, Sometimes stri!ing a child, again a laborer, Againa slin!ing *oman, again a lunatic& %n her right hand sheheld a scale> %nto the scale pieces o. gold *eretossed By those *ho dodged the stro!es o. the s*ord& Aman in a blac! go*n read .rom a manuscript: 5She is norespecter o. persons&5 $hen a youth *earing a redcap Leaped to her side and snatched a*ay thebandage& And lo, the lashes had been eaten a*ay romthe oo#y eye=lids> $he eye=balls *ere seared *ith a mil!ymucus> $he madness o. a dying soul )as *ritten on her.ace< But the multitude sa* *hy she *ore the

bandage&5

Editor )hedon

$o be able to see every side o. every uestion> $o be onevery side, to be everything, to be nothing long> $o



pervert truth, to ride it .or a purpose, $o use great.eelings and passions o. the human .amily or basedesigns, .or cunning ends, $o *ear a mas! li!e the -ree!actors< our eight=page paper<behind *hich you

huddle, Ba*ling through the megaphone o. bigtype: 5$his is %, the giant&5 $hereby also living the li.e o.a snea!=thie., "oisoned *ith the anonymous *ords 4.your clandestine soul& $o scratch dirt over scandal .ormoney, And e/hume it to the *inds .or revenge, 4r tosell papers, Crushing reputations, or bodies, i. needbe, $o *in at any cost, save your o*n li.e& $o glory indemoniac po*er, ditching civili#ation, As a paranoiac boy

puts a log on the trac! And derails the e/press train& $obe an editor, as % *as& $hen to lie here close by the riverover the place )here the se*age 7o*s .rom thevillage, And the empty cans and garbage aredumped, And abortions are hidden&

Eugene Carman

RH4(ES, slave? Selling shoes and gingham, lour andbacon, overalls, clothing, all day long or .ourteen hoursa day .or three hundred and thirteen days or more thant*enty years& Saying 5es0m5 and 5es, sir5, and 5$han!you5 A thousand times a day, and all .or 2.ty dollars amonth& Living in this stin!ing room in the rattle=trap5Commercial&5 And compelled to go to Sunday School,and to listen $o the Rev& Abner "eet one hundred and.our times a year or more than an hour at a

time, Because $homas Rhodes ran the church As *ell asthe store and the ban!& So *hile % *as tying my nec!=tiethat morning % suddenly sa* mysel. in the glass: My hairall gray, my .ace li!e a sodden pie& So % cursed andcursed: ou damned old thing ou co*ardly dog? ourotten pauper? ou Rhodes0 slave? $ill Roger



Baughman $hought % *as having a 2ght *ith someone, And loo!ed through the transom +ust in time $o seeme .all on the 7oor in a heap rom a bro!en vein in myhead&

Clarence a*cett

$HE sudden death o. Eugene Carman "ut me in line tobe promoted to 2.ty dollars a month, And % told my *i.eand children that night& But it didn0t come, and so %thought 4ld Rhodes suspected me o. stealing $heblan!ets % too! and sold on the side or money to pay a

doctor0s bill .or my little girl& $hen li!e a bolt old Rhodesaccused me, And promised me mercy .or my .amily0ssa!e %. % con.essed, and so % con.essed, And begged himto !eep it out o. the papers, And % as!ed the editors,too& $hat night at home the constable too! me Andevery paper, e/cept the Clarion, )rote me up as athie. Because old Rhodes *as an advertiser And *antedto ma!e an e/ample o. me& 4h? *ell, you !no* ho* thechildren cried, And ho* my *i.e pitied and hatedme, And ho* % came to lie here&

)& Lloyd -arrison Standard

9E-E$AR%A', non<resistant, .ree=thin!er, in ethics aChristian> 4rator apt at the rhine=stone rhythm o.%ngersoll& Carnivorous, avenger, believer andpagan& Continent, promiscuous, changeable,

treacherous, vain, "roud, *ith the pride that ma!esstruggle a thing .or laughter> )ith heart cored out by the*orm o. theatric despair& )earing the coat o.indi1erence to hide the shame o. de.eat> %, child o. theabolitionist idealism< A sort o. Brand in a birth o. hal.=and=hal.& )hat other thing could happen *hen %



de.ended $he patriot scamps *ho burned the courthouse $hat Spoon River might have a ne* one $hanplead them guilty; )hen 3insey 3eene drovethrough $he card<board mas! o. my li.e *ith a spear o.

light, )hat could % do but slin! a*ay, li!e the beast o.mysel. )hich % raised .rom a *help, to a corner andgro*l; $he pyramid o. my li.e *as nought but adune, Barren and .ormless, spoiled at last by the storm&

"ro.essor 'e*comer

E9ER4'E laughed at Col& "richard or buying an

engine so po*er.ul $hat it *rec!ed itsel., and *rec!edthe grinder He ran it *ith& But here is a +o!e o. cosmicsi#e: $he urge o. nature that made a man Evolve .romhis brain a spiritual li.e< 4h miracle o. the *orld?< $hevery same brain *ith *hich the ape and *ol. -et .oodand shelter and procreate themselves& 'ature has mademan do this, %n a *orld *here she gives him nothing todo A.ter all<Dthough the strength o. his soul goesround %n a .utile *aste o. po*er& $o gear itsel. to themills o. the gods< But get .ood and shelter andprocreate himsel.?

Ralph Rhodes

ALL they said *as true: % *rec!ed my .ather0s ban! *ithmy loans $o dabble in *heat> but this *as true< % *asbuying *heat .or him as *ell, )ho couldn0t margin the

deal in his name Because o. his church relationship& And*hile -eorge Reece *as serving his term % chased the*ill=o=the=*isp o. *omen And the moc!ery o. *ine in'e* or!& %t0s deathly to sic!en o. *ine and*omen )hen nothing else is le.t in li.e& But supposeyour head is gray, and bo*ed 4n a table covered *ith



acrid stubs 4. cigarettes and empty glasses, And a!noc! is heard, and you !no* it0s the !noc! So longdro*ned out by popping cor!s And the pea=coc! screamso. demireps< And you loo! up, and there0s your

$he.t, )ho *aited until your head *as gray, And yourheart s!ipped beats to say to you: $he game is ended&%0ve called .or you, -o out on Broad*ay and be runover, $hey0ll ship you bac! to Spoon River&

Mic!ey M0-re*

%$ *as +ust li!e everything else in li.e: Something

outside mysel. dre* me do*n, My o*n strength never.ailed me& )hy, there *as the time % earned themoney )ith *hich to go a*ay to school, And my .athersuddenly needed help And % had to give him all o. it& ustso it *ent till % ended up A man=o.<all=*or! in SpoonRiver& $hus *hen % got the *ater=to*er cleaned, Andthey hauled me up the seventy .eet, % unhoo!ed the rope.rom my *aist, And laughingly 7ung my giant arms 4verthe smooth steel lips o. the top o. the to*er< But theyslipped .rom the treacherous slime, And do*n, do*n,do*n, % plunged $hrough bello*ing dar!ness?

Rosie Roberts

% )AS sic!, but more than that, % *as mad At thecroo!ed police, and the croo!ed game o. li.e& So % *roteto the Chie. o. "olice at "eoria: 5l am here in my girlhood

home in Spoon River, -radually *asting a*ay& But comeand ta!e me, % !illed the son 4. the merchant prince, inMadam Lou0s And the papers that said he !illedhimsel. %n his home *hile cleaning a hunting gun< Liedli!e the devil to hush up scandal or the bribe o.advertising& %n my room % shot him, at Madam



Lou0s, Because he !noc!ed me do*n *hen % said $hat, inspite o. all the money he had, %0d see my lover thatnight&5

4scar Hummel

% S$A--ERE( on through dar!ness, $here *as a ha#ys!y, a .e* stars )hich % .ollo*ed as best % could& %t *asnine o0cloc!, % *as trying to get home& But someho* %*as lost, $hough really !eeping the road& $hen % reeledthrough a gate and into a yard, And called at the top o.my voice: 54h, iddler? 4h, Mr& ones?5 D% thought it *as

his house and he *ould sho* me the *ay home& But*ho should step out but A& (& Blood, %n his night shirt,*aving a stic! o. *ood, And roaring about the cursedsaloons, And the criminals they made; 5ou drun!en4scar Hummel5, he said, As % stood there *eaving to and.ro, $a!ing the blo*s .rom the stic! in his hand $ill %dropped do*n dead at his .eet&

osiah $omp!ins

% )AS *ell !no*n and much beloved And rich, as.ortunes are rec!oned %n Spoon River, *here % had livedand *or!ed& $hat *as the home .or me, $hough all mychildren had 7o*n a.ar< )hich is the *ay o. 'ature<allbut one& $he boy, *ho *as the baby, stayed at home, $obe my help in my .ailing years And the solace o. hismother& But % gre* *ea!er, as he gre* stronger, And he

uarreled *ith me about the business, And his *i.e said %*as a hindrance to it> And he *on his mother to see ashe did, $ill they tore me up to be transplanted )iththem to her girlhood home in Missouri& And so much o.my .ortune *as gone at last, $hough % made the *ill +ustas he dre* it, He pro2ted little by it&



Roscoe "ur!apile

SHE loved me& 4h? ho* she loved me % never had achance to escape rom the day she 2rst sa* me& But

then a.ter *e *ere married % thought She might proveher mortality and let me out, 4r she might divorce me&But .e* die, none resign& $hen % ran a*ay and *as gonea year on a lar!& But she never complained& She said all*ould be *ell $hat % *ould return& And % did return& % toldher that *hile ta!ing a ro* in a boat % had been capturednear 9an Buren Street By pirates on La!e Michigan, And!ept in chains, so % could not *rite her& She cried and

!issed me, and said it *as cruel, 4utrageous, inhuman? %then concluded our marriage )as a divinedispensation And could not be dissolved, E/cept bydeath& % *as right&

Mrs& "ur!apile

HE ran a*ay and *as gone .or a year& )hen he camehome he told me the silly story 4. being !idnapped bypirates on La!e Michigan And !ept in chains so he couldnot *rite me& % pretended to believe it, though % !ne*very *ell )hat he *as doing, and that he met $hemilliner, Mrs& )illiams, no* and then )hen she *ent tothe city to buy goods, as she said& But a promise is apromise And marriage is marriage, And out o. respect.or my o*n character % re.used to be dra*n into adivorce By the scheme o. a husband *ho had merely

gro*n tired 4. his marital vo* and duty&

Mrs& 3essler

MR& 3ESSLER, you !no*, *as in the army, And he dre*si/ dollars a month as a pension, And stood on the corner



tal!ing politics, 4r sat at home reading -rant0sMemoirs> And % supported the .amily by*ashing, Learning the secrets o. all the people romtheir curtains, counterpanes, shirts and s!irts& or things

that are ne* gro* old at length, $hey0re replaced *ithbetter or none at all: "eople are prospering or .allingbac!& And rents and patches *iden *ith time> 'o threador needle can pace decay, And there are stains thatbaFe soap, And there are colors that run in spite o.you, Blamed though you are .or spoiling adress& Hand!erchie.s, napery, have their secrets< $helaundress, Li.e, !no*s all about it& And %, *ho *ent to all

the .unerals Held in Spoon River, s*ear % never Sa* adead .ace *ithout thin!ing it loo!ed Li!e something*ashed and ironed&

Harmon )hitney

48$ o. the lights and roar o. cities, (ri.ting do*n li!e aspar! in Spoon River, Burnt out *ith the 2re o. drin!, andbro!en, $he paramour o. a *oman % too! in sel.=contempt, But to hide a *ounded pride as *ell& $o be

+udged and loathed by a village o. little minds< %, gi.ted*ith tongues and *isdom, Sun! here to the dust o. the

+ustice court, A pic!er o. rags in the rubbage o. spitesand *rongs,< %, *hom .ortune smiled on? % in avillage, Spouting to gaping yo!els pages o. verse, 4ut o. the lore o. golden years, 4r raising a laugh *ith a 7ash o. 2lthy *it )hen they bought the drin!s to !indle my dying

mind& $o be +udged by you, $he soul o. me hidden .romyou, )ith its *ound gangrened By love .or a *i.e *homade the *ound, )ith her cold *hite bosom,treasonous, pure and hard, Relentless to the last, *henthe touch o. her hand, At any time, might have cured meo. the typhus, Caught in the +ungle o. li.e *here many



are lost& And only to thin! that my soul could notreact, Li!e Byron0s did, in song, in something noble, Butturned on itsel. li!e a tortured sna!e<+udge me this*ay, 4 *orld&

Bert 3essler

% )%'-E( my bird, $hough he 7e* to*ard the settingsun> But +ust as the shot rang out, he soared 8p and upthrough the splinters o. golden light, $ill he turned rightover, .eathers ruFed, )ith some o. the do*n o. him7oating near, And .ell li!e a plummet into the grass& %

tramped about, parting the tangles, $ill % sa* a splash o.blood on a stump, And the uail lying close to the rottenroots& % reached my hand, but sa* no brier, Butsomething pric!ed and stung and numbed it& And then,in a second, % spied the rattler< $he shutters *ide in hisyello* eyes, $he head o. him arched, sun! bac! in therings o. him, A circle o. 2lth, the color o. ashes, 4r oa!leaves bleached under layers o. leaves& % stood li!e astone as he shran! and uncoiled And started to cra*lbeneath the stump, )hen % .ell limp in the grass&

Lambert Hutchins

% HA9E t*o monuments besides this graniteobelis!: 4ne, the house % built on the hill, )ith its spires,bay *indo*s, and roo. o. slate& $he other, the la!e=.rontin Chicago, )here the railroad !eeps a s*itching

yard, )ith *histling engines and crunching *heels Andsmo!e and soot thro*n over the city, And the crash o.cars along the boulevard,< A blot li!e a hog=pen on theharbor 4. a great metropolis, .oul as a sty& % helped togive this heritage $o generations yet unborn, *ith myvote %n the House o. Representatives, And the lure o. the



thing *as to be at rest rom the never<ending .right o.need, And to give my daughters gentle breeding, And asense o. security in li.e& But, you see, though % had themansion house And traveling passes and local

distinction, % could hear the *hispers, *hispers,*hispers, )herever % *ent, and my daughters gre*up )ith a loo! as i. some one *ere about to stri!ethem> And they married madly, helter=s!elter, ust to getout and have a change& And *hat *as the *hole o. thebusiness *orth; )hy, it *asn0t *orth a damn?

Lillian Ste*art

% )AS the daughter o. Lambert Hutchins, Born in acottage near the grist<mill, Reared in the mansion thereon the hill, )ith its spires, bay<*indo*s, and roo. o.slate& Ho* proud my mother *as o. the mansion Ho*proud o. .ather0s rise in the *orld? And ho* my .atherloved and *atched us, And guarded our happiness& But %believe the house *as a curse, or .ather0s .ortune *aslittle beside it> And *hen my husband .ound he hadmarried A girl *ho *as really poor, He taunted me *iththe spires, And called the house a .raud on the *orld, Atreacherous lure to young men, raising hopes 4. a do*rynot to be had> And a man *hile selling his vote Shouldget enough .rom the people0s betrayal $o *all the *holeo. his .amily in& He ve/ed my li.e till % *ent bac!home And lived li!e an old maid till % died, 3eepinghouse .or .ather&

Hortense Robbins

M name used to be in the papers daily As having dinedsome*here, 4r traveled some*here, 4r rented a housein "aris, )here % entertained the nobility& % *as .orever



eating or traveling, 4r ta!ing the cure at Baden=Baden& 'o* % am here to do honor $o Spoon River, herebeside the .amily *hence % sprang& 'o one cares no**here % dined, 4r lived, or *hom % entertained, 4r ho*

o.ten % too! the cure at Baden=Baden&

acob -odbey

Ho* did you .eel, you libertarians, )ho spent yourtalents rallying noble reasons Around the saloon, as i.Liberty )as not to be .ound any*here e/cept at thebar 4r at a table, gu##ling; Ho* did you .eel, Ben

"antier, and the rest o. you, )ho almost stoned me .or atyrant -arbed as a moralist, And as a *ry=.aced ascetic.ro*ning upon or!shire pudding, Roast bee. and ale andgood *ill and rosy cheer< $hings you never sa* in agrog=shop in your li.e; Ho* did you .eel a.ter % *as deadand gone, And your goddess, Liberty, unmas!ed as astrumpet, Selling out the streets o. Spoon River $o theinsolent giants )ho manned the saloons .rom a.ar; (idit occur to you that personal liberty %s liberty o. themind, Rather than o. the belly;

)alter Simmons

M parents thought that % *ould be As great as Edisonor greater: or as a boy % made balloons And *ondrous!ites and toys *ith cloc!s And little engines *ith trac!sto run on And telephones o. cans and thread& % played

the cornet and painted pictures, Modeled in clay andtoo! the part 4. the villain in the 54ctoroon&5 But then att*enty<one % married And had to live, and so, to live %learned the trade o. ma!ing *atches And !ept the

+e*elry store on the suare, $hin!ing, thin!ing, thin!ing,thin!ing,< 'ot o. business, but o. the engine % studied



the calculus to build& And all Spoon River *atched and*aited $o see it *or!, but it never *or!ed& And a .e*!ind souls believed my genius )as someho* hamperedby the store& %t *asn0t true& $he truth *as this: % did not

have the brains&

$om Beatty

% )AS a la*yer li!e Harmon )hitney 4r 3insey 3eene or-arrison Standard, or % tried the rights o.property, Although by lamp=light, .or thirty years, %n thatpo!er room in the opera house& And % say to you that

Li.e0s a gambler Head and shoulders above us all& 'omayor alive can close the house& And i. you lose, you cansueal as you *ill> ou0ll not get bac! your money& Hema!es the percentage hard to conuer> He stac!s thecards to catch your *ea!ness And not to meet yourstrength& And he gives you seventy years to play: or i.you cannot *in in seventy ou cannot *in at all& So, i.you lose, get out o. the room< -et out o. the room *henyour time is up& %t0s mean to sit and .umble thecards And curse your losses, leaden=eyed, )hining to tryand try&

Roy Butler

% the learned Supreme Court o. %llinois -ot at thesecret o. every case As *ell as it does a case o. rape %t*ould be the greatest court in the *orld& A +ury, o.

neighbors mostly, *ith 5Butch5 )eldy As .oreman, .oundme guilty in ten minutes And t*o ballots on a case li!ethis: Richard Bandle and % had trouble over a .ence Andmy *i.e and Mrs& Bandle uarreled As to *hether %pava*as a 2ner to*n than $able -rove& % a*o!e one morning*ith the love o. -od Brimming over my heart, so % *ent



to see Richard $o settle the .ence in the spirit o. esusChrist& % !noc!ed on the door, and his *i.e opened> Shesmiled and as!ed me in& % entered< She slammed thedoor and began to scream, 5$a!e your hands o1, you lo*

do*n varlet?5 ust then her husband entered& % *avedmy hands, cho!ed up *ith *ords& He *ent .or his gun,and % ran out& But neither the Supreme Court nor my*i.e Believed a *ord she said&

Searcy oote

% )A'$E( to go a*ay to college But rich Aunt "ersis

*ouldn0t help me& So % made gardens and ra!ed thela*ns And bought ohn Alden0s boo!s *ith myearnings And toiled .or the very means o. li.e& % *antedto marry (elia "ric!ett, But ho* could % do it *ith *hat %earned; And there *as Aunt "ersis more thanseventy )ho sat in a *heel=chair hal. alive )ith herthroat so paraly#ed, *hen she s*allo*ed $he soup ranout o. her mouth li!e a duc!< A gourmand yet, investingher income %n mortgages, .retting all the time About hernotes and rents and papers& $hat day % *as sa*ing *ood.or her, And reading "roudhon in bet*een& % *ent in thehouse .or a drin! o. *ater, And there she sat asleep inher chair, And "roudhon lying on the table, And a bottleo. chloro.orm on the boo!, She used sometimes .or anaching tooth? % poured the chloro.orm on ahand!erchie. And held it to her nose till she died&< 4h(elia, (elia, you and "roudhon Steadied my hand, and

the coroner Said she died o. heart .ailure& % married (eliaand got the money< A +o!e on you, Spoon River;

Edmund "ollard

% )48L( % had thrust my hands o. 7esh %nto the dis!<



7o*ers bee=in.ested, %nto the mirror=li!e core o. 2re 4.the light o. li.e, the sun o. delight& or *hat are anthers*orth or petals 4r halo=rays; Moc!eries, shado*s 4. theheart o. the 7o*er, the central 7ame All is yours, young

passer=by> Enter the banuet room *ith thethought> (on0t sidle in as i. you *ere doubt.ul )hetheryou0re *elcome<the .east is yours? 'or ta!e but a little,re.using more )ith a bash.ul 5$han! you5, *hen you0rehungry& %s your soul alive; $hen let it .eed? Leave nobalconies *here you can climb> 'or mil!=*hite bosoms*here you can rest> 'or golden heads *ith pillo*s toshare> 'or *ine cups *hile the *ine is s*eet> 'or

ecstasies o. body or soul, ou *ill die, no doubt, but die*hile living %n depths o. a#ure, rapt and mated, 3issingthe ueen=bee, Li.e?

$homas $revelyan

REA(%'- in 4vid the sorro*.ul story o. %tys, Son o. thelove o. $ereus and "rocne, slain or the guilty passion o.

$ereus .or "hilomela, $he 7esh o. him served to $ereus by"rocne, And the *rath o. $ereus, the murderesspursuing $ill the gods made "hilomela anightingale, Lute o. the rising moon, and "rocne as*allo* 4h livers and artists o. Hellas centuriesgone, Sealing in little thuribles dreams and*isdom, %ncense beyond all price, .orever .ragrant, Abreath *hereo. ma!es clear the eyes o. the soul Ho* %inhaled its s*eetness here in Spoon River? $he thurible

opening *hen % had lived and learned Ho* all o. us !illthe children o. love, and all o. us, 3no*ing not *hat *edo, devour their 7esh> And all o. us change to singers,although it be But once in our lives, or change<alas?<tos*allo*s, $o t*itter amid cold *inds and .alling leaves?



"ercival Sharp

4BSER9E the clasped hands? Are they hands o. .are*ellor greeting, Hands that % helped or hands that helped

me; )ould it not be *ell to carve a hand )ith aninverted thumb, li!e Elagabalus; And yonder is a bro!enchain, $he *ea!est=lin! idea perhaps<but *hat *asit; And lambs, some lying do*n, 4thers standing, as i.listening to the shepherd< 4thers bearing a cross, one.oot li.ted up< )hy not chisel a .e* shambles; And.allen columns? Carve the pedestal, please, 4r the.oundations> let us see the cause o. the .all& And

compasses and mathematical instruments, %n irony o.the under tenants, ignorance 4. determinants and thecalculus o. variations& And anchors, .or those *ho neversailed& And gates a+ar<yes, so they *ere> ou le.t themopen and stray goats entered your garden& And an eye*atching li!e one o. the Arimaspi< So did you<*ith oneeye& And angels blo*ing trumpets<you are heralded< %t is your horn and your angel and your .amily0s

estimate& %t is all very *ell, but .or mysel. % !no* % stirredcertain vibrations in Spoon River )hich are my trueepitaph, more lasting than stone&

Hiram Scates

% $R%E( to *in the nomination or president o. theCounty=board And % made speeches all over theCounty (enouncing Solomon "urple, my rival, As an

enemy o. the people, %n league *ith the master=.oes o.man& oung idealists, bro!en *arriors, Hobbling on onecrutch o. hope, Souls that sta!e their all on thetruth, Losers o. *orlds at heaven0s bidding, loc!edabout me and .ollo*ed my voice As the savior o. theCounty& But Solomon *on the nomination> And then %



.aced about, And rallied my .ollo*ers to hisstandard, And made him victor, made him 3ing 4. the-olden Mountain *ith the door )hich closed on my heels

+ust as % entered, lattered by Solomon0s invitation, $o be

the County<board0s secretary& And out in the cold stoodall my .ollo*ers: oung idealists, bro!en*arriors Hobbling on one crutch o. hope< Souls thatsta!ed their all on the truth, Losers o. *orlds at heaven0sbidding, )atching the (evil !ic! the Millennium 4ver the-olden Mountain&

"eleg "oague

H4RSES and men are +ust ali!e& $here *as my stallion,Billy Lee, Blac! as a cat and trim as a deer, )ith an eyeo. 2re, !een to start, And he could hit the .astestspeed 4. any racer around Spoon River& But +ust asyou0d thin! he couldn0t lose, )ith his lead o. 2.ty yards ormore, He0d rear himsel. and thro* the rider, And .allbac! over, tangled up, Completely gone to pieces& ousee he *as a per.ect .raud: He couldn0t *in, he couldn0t*or!, He *as too light to haul or plo* *ith, And no one*anted colts .rom him& And *hen % tried to drive him<*ell, He ran a*ay and !illed me&

eduthan Ha*ley

$HERE *ould be a !noc! at the door And % *ould ariseat midnight and go to the shop, )here belated travelers

*ould hear me hammering Sepulchral boards andtac!ing satin& And o.ten % *ondered *ho *ould go *ithme $o the distant land, our names the theme or tal!, inthe same *ee!, .or %0ve observed $*o al*ays gotogether& Chase Henry *as paired *ith EdithConant> And onathan Somers *ith )illie Metcal.> And



Editor Hamblin *ith rancis $urner, )hen he prayed tolive longer than Editor )hedon, And $homas Rhodes *ith*ido* Mcarlane> And Emily Spar!s *ith BarryHolden> And 4scar Hummel *ith (avis Matloc!> And

Editor )hedon *ith iddler ones> And aith Matheny *ith(orcas -ustine& And %, the solemnest man into*n, Stepped o1 *ith (aisy raser&

Abel Melveny

% B48-H$ every !ind o. machine that0s !no*n< -rinders, shellers, planters, mo*ers, Mills and ra!es

and ploughs and threshers< And all o. them stood in therain and sun, -etting rusted, *arped and battered, or %had no sheds to store them in, And no use .or most o.them& And to*ard the last, *hen % thought it over, $hereby my *indo*, gro*ing clearer About mysel., as mypulse slo*ed do*n, And loo!ed at one o. the mills %bought< )hich % didn0t have the slightest need o., Asthings turned out, and % never ran< A 2ne machine, oncebrightly varnished, And eager to do its *or!, 'o* *ithits paint *ashed o1< % sa* mysel. as a goodmachine $hat Li.e had never used&

4a!s $utt

M mother *as .or *oman0s rights And my .ather *asthe rich miller at London Mills& % dreamed o. the *rongso. the *orld and *anted to right them& )hen my .ather

died, % set out to see peoples and countries %n order tolearn ho* to re.orm the *orld& % traveled through manylands& % sa* the ruins o. Rome And the ruins o. Athens,And the ruins o. $hebes& And % sat by moonlight amid thenecropolis o. Memphis& $here % *as caught up by *ingso. 7ame, And a voice .rom heaven said to me: 5%n+ustice,



8ntruth destroyed them& -o .orth "reach ustice? "reach $ruth?5 And % hastened bac! to Spoon River $o say.are*ell to my mother be.ore beginning my *or!& $heyall sa* a strange light in my eye& And by and by, *hen %

tal!ed, they discovered )hat had come in mymind& $hen onathan S*i.t Somers challenged me todebate $he sub+ect, D% ta!ing the negative: 5"ontius"ilate, the -reatest "hilosopher o. the )orld&5 And he*on the debate by saying at last, 5Be.ore you re.orm the*orld, Mr& $utt "lease ans*er the uestion o. "ontius"ilate: 5)hat is $ruth;5

Elliott Ha*!ins

% L443E( li!e Abraham Lincoln& % *as one o. you, SpoonRiver, in all .ello*ship, But standing .or the rights o.property and .or order& A regular churchattendant, Sometimes appearing in your to*n meetingsto *arn you Against the evils o. discontent andenvy And to denounce those *ho tried to destroy the8nion, And to point to the peril o. the 3nights o.Labor& My success and my e/ample are inevitablein7uences %n your young men and in generations tocome, %n spite o. attac!s o. ne*spapers li!e theClarion> A regular visitor at Spring2eld )hen theLegislature *as in session $o prevent raids upon therailroads And the men building up the state& $rusted bythem and by you, Spoon River, eually %n spite o. the*hispers that % *as a lobbyist& Moving uietly through

the *orld, rich and courted& (ying at last, o. course, butlying here 8nder a stone *ith an open boo! carved uponit And the *ords 54. such is the 3ingdom o.Heaven&5 And no*, you *orld=savers, *ho reapednothing in li.e And in death have neither stones norepitaphs, Ho* do you li!e your silence .rom mouths



stopped )ith the dust o. my triumphant career;

Enoch (unlap

Ho* many times, during the t*enty years % *as yourleader, .riends o. Spoon River, (id you neglect theconvention and caucus, And leave the burden on myhands 4. guarding and saving the people0s cause;< Sometimes because you *ere ill> 4r yourgrandmother *as ill> 4r you dran! too much and .ellasleep> 4r else you said: 5He is our leader, All *ill be*ell> he 2ghts .or us> )e have nothing to do but

.ollo*&5 But oh, ho* you cursed me *hen % .ell, Andcursed me, saying % had betrayed you, %n leaving thecaucus room .or a moment, )hen the people0s enemies,there assembled, )aited and *atched .or a chance todestroy $he Sacred Rights o. the "eople& ou commonrabble? % le.t the caucus $o go to the urinal&

%da ric!ey

'4$H%'- in li.e is alien to you: % *as a penniless girl.rom Summum )ho stepped .rom the morning train inSpoon River& All the houses stood be.ore me *ith closeddoors And dra*n shades<l *as barred out> % had noplace or part in any o. them& And % *al!ed past the oldMc'eely mansion, A castle o. stone 0mid *al!s andgardens )ith *or!men about the place on guard Andthe County and State upholding it or its lordly o*ner,

.ull o. pride& % *as so hungry % had a vision: % sa* a giantpair o. scissors (ip .rom the s!y, li!e the beam o. adredge, And cut the house in t*o li!e a curtain& But atthe 5Commercial5 % sa* a man )ho *in!ed at me as %as!ed .or *or!< %t *as )ash Mc'eely0s son& He provedthe lin! in the chain o. title $o hal. my o*nership o. the



mansion, $hrough a breach o. promise suit<thescissors& So, you see, the house, .rom the day % *asborn, )as only *aiting .or me&

Seth Compton

)HE' % died, the circulating library )hich % built up .orSpoon River, And managed .or the good o. inuiringminds, )as sold at auction on the public suare, As i. todestroy the last vestige 4. my memory andin7uence& or those o. you *ho could not see thevirtue 4. !no*ing 9olney0s 5Ruins5 as *ell as Butler0s

5Analogy5 And 5aust5 as *ell as 5Evangeline,5 )erereally the po*er in the village, And o.ten you as!edme 5)hat is the use o. !no*ing the evil in the *orld;5 %am out o. your *ay no*, Spoon River, Choose your o*ngood and call it good& or % could never ma!e yousee $hat no one !no*s *hat is good )ho !no*s not*hat is evil> And no one !no*s *hat is true )ho !no*snot *hat is .alse&

eli/ Schmidt

%$ *as only a little house o. t*o rooms< Almost li!e achild0s play=house< )ith scarce 2ve acres o. groundaround it> And % had so many children to .eed And schooland clothe, and a *i.e *ho *as sic! rom bearingchildren& 4ne day la*yer )hitney came along Andproved to me that Christian (allman, )ho o*ned three

thousand acres o. land, Had bought the eighty thatad+oined me %n eighteen hundred and seventy=one oreleven dollars, at a sale .or ta/es, )hile my .ather lay inhis mortal illness& So the uarrel arose and % *ent tola*& But *hen *e came to the proo., A survey o. theland sho*ed clear as day $hat (allman0s ta/ deed



covered my ground And my little house o. t*o rooms& %tserved me right .or stirring him up& % lost my case andlost my place& % le.t the court room and *ent to *or! AsChristian (allman0s tenant&

Richard Bone

)hen % 2rst came to Spoon River % did not !no**hether *hat they told me )as true or .alse& $hey*ould bring me the epitaph And stand around the shop*hile % *or!ed And say 5He *as so !ind,5 5He *as so*onder.ul,5 5She *as the s*eetest *oman,5 5He *as a

consistent Christian&5 And % chiseled .or them *hateverthey *ished, All in ignorance o. the truth& But later, as %lived among the people here, % !ne* ho* near to theli.e )ere the epitaphs that *ere ordered .or them as theydied& But still % chiseled *hatever they paid me tochisel And made mysel. party to the .alse chronicles 4.the stones, Even as the historian does *ho*rites )ithout !no*ing the truth, 4r because he isin7uenced to hide it&

Silas (ement

%t *as moon=light, and the earth spar!led )ith ne*=.allen .rost& %t *as midnight and not a soul abroad& 4uto. the chimney o. the court=house A gray=hound o.smo!e leapt and chased $he north*est *ind& % carried aladder to the landing o. the stairs And leaned it against

the .rame o. the trap=door %n the ceiling o. theportico, And % cra*led under the roo. and amid thera.ters And 7ung among the seasoned timbers A lightedhand.ul o. oil=soa!ed *aste& $hen % came do*n and slun!a*ay& %n a little *hile the 2re=bell rang< Clang? Clang?Clang? And the Spoon River ladder company Came *ith



a do#en buc!ets and began to pour *ater 4n the gloriousbon=2re, gro*ing hotter Higher and brighter, till the *alls.ell in And the limestone columns *here Lincolnstood Crashed li!e trees *hen the *oodman .ells

them& )hen % came bac! .rom oliet $here *as a ne*court house *ith a dome& or % *as punished li!e all *hodestroy $he past .or the sa!e o. the .uture&

(illard Sissman

$HE bu##ards *heel slo*ly %n *ide circles, in as!y aintly ha#ed as .rom dust .rom the road& And a *ind

s*eeps through the pasture *here % lie Beating the grassinto long *aves& My !ite is above the *ind, $hough no*and then it *obbles, Li!e a man sha!ing hisshoulders> And the tail streams out momentarily, $hensin!s to rest& And the bu##ards *heel and*heel, S*eeping the #enith *ith *ide circles Above my!ite& And the hills sleep& And a .arm house, *hite assno*, "eeps .rom green trees<.ar a*ay& And % *atch my!ite, or the thin moon *ill !indle hersel. ere long, $henshe *ill s*ing li!e a pendulum dial $o the tail o. my!ite& A spurt o. 7ame li!e a *ater=dragon (a##les myeyes< % am sha!en as a banner&

E& C& Culbertson

%s it true, Spoon River, $hat in the hall<*ay o. the 'e*Court House $here is a tablet o. bron#e Containing the

embossed .aces 4. Editor )hedon and $homasRhodes; And is it true that my success.ul labors %n theCounty Board, *ithout *hich 'ot one stone *ould havebeen placed on another, And the contributions out o. myo*n poc!et $o build the temple, are but memoriesamong the people, -radually .ading a*ay, and soon to



descend )ith them to this oblivion *here % lie; %n truth, %can so believe& or it is a la* o. the 3ingdom o.Heaven $hat *hoso enters the vineyard at the eleventhhour Shall receive a .ull day0s pay& And it is a la* o. the

3ingdom o. this )orld $hat those *ho 2rst oppose agood *or! Sei#e it and ma!e it their o*n, )hen thecorner<stone is laid, And memorial tablets are erected&

Shac! (ye

$HE *hite men played all sorts o. +o!es on me& $heytoo! big 2sh o1 my hoo! And put little ones on, *hile %

*as a*ay -etting a stringer, and made me believe %hadn0t seen aright the 2sh % had caught& )hen BurrRobbins, circus came to to*n $hey got the ring master tolet a tame leopard %nto the ring, and made me believe %*as *hipping a *ild beast li!e Samson )hen %, .or ano1er o. 2.ty dollars, (ragged him out to his cage& 4netime % entered my blac!smith shop And shoo! as % sa*some horse=shoes cra*ling Across the 7oor, as i. alive< )alter Simmons had put a magnet 8nder the barrelo. *ater& et everyone o. you, you *hite men, )as.ooled about 2sh and about leopards too, And you didn0t!no* any more than the horse=shoes did )hat movedyou about Spoon River&

Hildrup $ubbs

% MA(E t*o 2ghts .or the people& irst % le.t my party,

bearing the gon.alon 4. independence, .or re.orm, and*as de.eated& 'e/t % used my rebel strength $o capturethe standard o. my old party< And % captured it, but %*as de.eated& (iscredited and discarded,misanthropical, % turned to the solace o. gold And % usedmy remnant o. po*er $o .asten mysel. li!e a



saprophyte 8pon the putrescent carcass 4. $homasRhodes, ban!rupt ban!, As assignee o. the.und& Everyone no* turned .rom me& My hair gre**hite, My purple lusts gre* gray, $obacco and *his!y

lost their savor And .or years (eath ignored me As hedoes a hog&

Henry $ripp

$HE ban! bro!e and % lost my savings& % *as sic! o. thetiresome game in Spoon River And % made up my mind torun a*ay And leave my place in li.e and my .amily> But

+ust as the midnight train pulled in, uic! o1 the steps +umped Cully -reen And Martin 9ise, and began to2ght $o settle their ancient rivalry, Stri!ing each other*ith 2sts that sounded Li!e the blo*s o. !nottedclubs& 'o* it seemed to me that Cully *as*inning, )hen his bloody .ace bro!e into a grin 4. sic!lyco*ardice, leaning on Martin And *hining out 5)e0regood .riends, Mart, ou !no* that %0m your .riend&5 But aterrible punch .rom Martin !noc!ed him Around andaround and into a heap& And then they arrested me as a*itness, And % lost my train and staid in Spoon River $o*age my battle o. li.e to the end& 4h, Cully -reen, you*ere my savior< ou, so ashamed and drooped .oryears, Loitering listless about the streets, And tying ragsround your .estering soul, )ho .ailed to 2ght it out&

-ranville Calhoun

% )A'$E( to be County udge 4ne more term, so as toround out a service 4. thirty years& But my .riends le.tme and +oined my enemies, And they elected a ne*man& $hen a spirit o. revenge sei#ed me, And % in.ectedmy .our sons *ith it, And % brooded upon



retaliation, 8ntil the great physician, 'ature, Smote methrough *ith paralysis $o give my soul and body arest& (id my sons get po*er and money; (id they servethe people or yo!e them, $o till and harvest 2elds o.

sel.; or ho* could they ever .orget My .ace at my bed=room *indo*, Sitting helpless amid my golden cages 4.singing canaries, Loo!ing at the old court=house;

Henry C& Calhoun

% REACHE( the highest place in Spoon River, Butthrough *hat bitterness o. spirit? $he .ace o. my .ather,

sitting speechless, Child=li!e, *atching his canaries, Andloo!ing at the court=house *indo* 4. the county +udge0sroom, And his admonitions to me to see! My o*n in li.e,and punish Spoon River $o avenge the *rong the peopledid him, illed me *ith .urious energy $o see! .or *ealthand see! .or po*er& But *hat did he do but send mealong $he path that leads to the grove o. the uries; %.ollo*ed the path and % tell you this: 4n the *ay to thegrove you0ll pass the ates, Shado*=eyed, bent over their*eaving& Stop .or a moment, and i. you see $he threado. revenge leap out o. the shuttle $hen uic!ly snatch.rom Atropos $he shears and cut it, lest your sons Andthe children o. them and their children )ear theenvenomed robe&

Al.red Moir

)H *as % not devoured by sel.=contempt, And rotteddo*n by indi1erence And impotent revolt li!e %ndignation

ones; )hy, *ith all o. my errant steps (id % miss the.ate o. )illard lu!e; And *hy, though % stood atBurchard0s bar, As a sort o. decoy .or the house to theboys $o buy the drin!s, did the curse o. drin! all on me



li!e rain that runs o1, Leaving the soul o. me dry andclean; And *hy did % never !ill a man Li!e ac!Mc-uire; But instead % mounted a little in li.e, And % o*eit all to a boo! % read& But *hy did % go to Mason

City, )here % chanced to see the boo! in a *indo*, )ithits garish cover luring my eye; And *hy did my soulrespond to the boo!, As % read it over and over;

"erry 6oll

M than!s, .riends o. the County Scienti2cAssociation, or this modest boulder, And its little tablet

o. bron#e& $*ice % tried to +oin your honored body, And*as re+ected And *hen my little brochure 4n theintelligence o. plants Began to attract attention oualmost voted me in& A.ter that % gre* beyond the need o.you And your recognition& et % do not re+ect yourmemorial stone Seeing that % should, in sodoing, (eprive you o. honor to yourselves&

Magrady -raham

$ELL me, *as Altgeld elected -overnor; or *hen thereturns began to come in And Cleveland *as s*eepingthe East %t *as too much .or you, poor old heart, )hohad striven .or democracy %n the long, long years o.de.eat& And li!e a *atch that is *orn % .elt you gro*ingslo*er until you stopped& $ell me, *as Altgeldelected, And *hat did he do; (id they bring his head on

a platter to a dancer, 4r did he triumph .or thepeople; or *hen % sa* him And too! his hand, $hechild=li!e blueness o. his eyes Moved me to tears, Andthere *as an air o. eternity about him, Li!e the cold,clear light that rests at da*n 4n the hills?



Archibald Higbie

% L4A$HE( 48, Spoon River& % tried to rise above you, %*as ashamed o. you& % despised you As the place o. my

nativity& And there in Rome, among the artists, Spea!ing%talian, spea!ing rench, % seemed to mysel. at times tobe .ree 4. every trace o. my origin& % seemed to bereaching the heights o. art And to breathe the air thatthe masters breathed And to see the *orld *ith theireyes& But still they0d pass my *or! and say: 5)hat areyou driving at, my .riend; Sometimes the .ace loo!s li!eApollo0s At others it has a trace o. Lincoln0s&5 $here *as

no culture, you !no*, in Spoon River And % burned *ithshame and held my peace& And *hat could % do, allcovered over And *eighted do*n *ith *esternsoil E/cept aspire, and pray .or another Birth in the*orld, *ith all o. Spoon River Rooted out o. my soul;

$om Merritt

A$ 2rst % suspected something< She acted so calm andabsent=minded& And one day % heard the bac! doorshut As % entered the .ront, and % sa* him slin! Bac! o.the smo!ehouse into the lot And run across the2eld& And % meant to !ill him on sight& But that day,*al!ing near ourth Bridge )ithout a stic! or a stone athand, All o. a sudden % sa* him standing Scared todeath, holding his rabbits, And all % could say *as, 5(on0t,(on0t, (on0t,5 As he aimed and 2red at my heart&

Mrs& Merritt

S%LE'$ be.ore the +ury Returning no *ord to the +udge*hen he as!ed me %. % had aught to say against thesentence, 4nly sha!ing my head& )hat could % say to



people *ho thought $hat a *oman o. thirty=2ve *as at.ault )hen her lover o. nineteen !illed herhusband; Even though she had said to him over andover, 5-o a*ay, Elmer, go .ar a*ay, % have maddened

your brain *ith the gi.t o. my body: ou *ill do someterrible thing&5 And +ust as % .eared, he !illed myhusband> )ith *hich % had nothing to do, be.ore -odSilent .or thirty years in prison And the iron gates o.

oliet S*ung as the gray and silent trusties Carried meout in a co@n&

Elmer 3arr

)HA$ but the love o. -od could have so.tened Andmade .orgiving the people o. Spoon River $o*ard me*ho *ronged the bed o. $homas Merritt And murderedhim beside; 4h, loving hearts that too! me inagain )hen % returned .rom .ourteen years in prison? 4h,helping hands that in the church received me And heard*ith tears my penitent con.ession, )ho too! thesacrament o. bread and *ine? Repent, ye living ones,and rest *ith esus&

Eli#abeth Childers

(8S$ o. my dust, And dust *ith my dust, 4, child *hodied as you entered the *orld, (ead *ith my death? 'ot!no*ing Breath, though you tried so hard, )ith a heartthat beat *hen you lived *ith me, And stopped *hen

you le.t me .or Li.e& %t is *ell, my child& or you nevertraveled $he long, long *ay that begins *ith schooldays, )hen little 2ngers blur under the tears $hat .all onthe croo!ed letters& And the earliest *ound, *hen a littlemate Leaves you alone .or another> And sic!ness, andthe .ace o. ear by the bed> $he death o. a .ather or



mother> 4r shame .or them, or poverty> $he maidensorro* o. school days ended> And eyeless 'ature thatma!es you drin! rom the cup o. Love, though you !no*it0s poisoned> $o *hom *ould your 7o*er=.ace have been

li.ted; Botanist, *ea!ling; Cry o. *hat blood to yours;< "ure or .oul, .or it ma!es no matter, %t0s blood thatcalls to our blood& And then your children<oh, *hatmight they be; And *hat your sorro*; Child? Child(eath is better than Li.e&

Edith Conant

)E stand about this place<*e, the memories> Andshade our eyes because *e dread to read: 5une Gth,GIIJ, aged KG years and days&5 And all things arechanged& And *e<*e, the memories, stand here .orourselves alone, or no eye mar!s us, or *ould !no* *hy*e are here& our husband is dead, your sister lives .ara*ay, our .ather is bent *ith age> He has .orgotten you,he scarcely leaves the house Any more& 'o oneremembers your e/uisite .ace, our lyric voice? Ho*you sang, even on the morning you *ere stric!en, )ithpiercing s*eetness, *ith thrilling sorro*, Be.ore theadvent o. the child *hich died *ith you& %t is all .orgotten,save by us, the memories, )ho are .orgotten by the*orld& All is changed, save the river and the hill< Eventhey are changed& 4nly the burning sun and the uietstars are the same& And *e<*e, the memories, standhere in a*e, 4ur eyes closed *ith the *eariness o. tears

< %n immeasurable *eariness

ather Malloy

48 are over there, ather Malloy, )here holy groundis, and the cross mar!s every grave, 'ot here *ith us on



the hill< 8s o. *avering .aith, and clouded vision Anddri.ting hope, and un.orgiven sins& ou *ere so human,ather Malloy, $a!ing a .riendly glass sometimes *ithus, Siding *ith us *ho *ould rescue Spoon River rom

the coldness and the dreariness o. village morality& ou*ere li!e a traveler *ho brings a little bo/ o. sand romthe *astes about the pyramids And ma!es them real andEgypt real& ou *ere a part o. and related to a greatpast, And yet you *ere so close to many o. us& oubelieved in the +oy o. li.e& ou did not seem to beashamed o. the 7esh& ou .aced li.e as it is, And as itchanges& Some o. us almost came to you, ather

Malloy, Seeing ho* your church had divined theheart, And provided .or it, $hrough "eter thelame, "eter the Roc!&

Ami -reen

'4$ 5a youth *ith hoary head and haggard eye5, Butan old man *ith a smooth s!in And blac! hair? % had the.ace o. a boy as long as % lived, And .or years a soul that*as sti1 and bent, %n a *orld *hich sa* me +ust as a

+est, $o be hailed .amiliarly *hen it chose, And loaded upas a man *hen it chose, Being neither man nor boy& %ntruth it *as soul as *ell as body )hich never matured,and % say to you $hat the much=sought pri#e o. eternalyouth %s +ust arrested gro*th&

Calvin Campbell

E *ho are !ic!ing against ate, $ell me ho* it is thaton this hill=side Running do*n to the river, )hich .rontsthe sun and the south=*ind, $his plant dra*s .rom the airand soil "oison and becomes poison ivy; And this plantdra*s .rom the same air and soil S*eet eli/irs and colors



and becomes arbutus; And both 7ourish; ou mayblame Spoon River .or *hat it is, But *hom do you blame.or the *ill in you $hat .eeds itsel. and ma!es you doc!=*eed, impson, dandelion or mullen And *hich can

never use any soil or air So as to ma!e you +essamine or*istaria;

Henry Layton

)H4E9ER thou art *ho passest by 3no* that my .ather*as gentle, And my mother *as violent, )hile % *asborn the *hole o. such hostile halves, 'ot intermi/ed

and .used, But each distinct, .eebly solderedtogether& Some o. you sa* me as gentle, Some asviolent, Some as both& But neither hal. o. me *roughtmy ruin& %t *as the .alling asunder o. halves, 'ever apart o. each other, $hat le.t me a li.eless soul&

Harlan Se*all

ou never understood, 4 un!no*n one, )hy it *as %

repaid our devoted .riendship and delicateministrations irst *ith diminished than!s, A.ter*ard bygradually *ithdra*ing my presence .rom you, So that %might not be compelled to than! you, And then *ithsilence *hich .ollo*ed upon 4ur 2nal Separation& ouhad cured my diseased soul& But to cure it ou sa* mydisease, you !ne* my secret, And that is *hy % 7ed .romyou& or though *hen our bodies rise .rom pain )e !iss

.orever the *atch.ul hands $hat gave us *orm*ood,*hile *e shudder or thin!ing o. the *orm*ood, A soulthat0s cured is a di1erent matter, or there *e0d blot.rom memory $he so.t<toned *ords, the searchingeyes, And stand .orever oblivious, 'ot so much o. thesorro* itsel. As o. the hand that healed it&



%ppolit 3onovalo1

% )AS a gun=smith in 4dessa& 4ne night the policebro!e in the room )here a group o. us *ere reading

Spencer& And sei#ed our boo!s and arrested us& But %escaped and came to 'e* or! And thence to Chicago,and then to Spoon River, )here % could study my 3ant inpeace And e!e out a living repairing guns Loo! at mymoulds? My architectonics 4ne .or a barrel, one .or ahammer And others .or other parts o. a gun? )ell, no*suppose no gun<smith living Had anything else butduplicate moulds 4. these % sho* you<*ell, all

guns )ould be +ust ali!e, *ith a hammer to hit $he capand a barrel to carry the shot All acting ali!e .orthemselves, and all Acting against each other ali!e& Andthere *ould be your *orld o. guns? )hich nothing couldever .ree .rom itsel. E/cept a Moulder *ith di1erentmoulds $o mould the metal over&

Henry "hipps

% )AS the Sunday=school superintendent, $he dummypresident o. the *agon *or!s And the canning.actory, Acting .or $homas Rhodes and the ban!ingcliue> My son the cashier o. the ban!, )edded toRhodes, daughter, My *ee! days spent in ma!ingmoney, My Sundays at church and in prayer& %neverything a cog in the *heel o. things<as<they=are: 4. money, master and man, made *hite )ith the paint o.

the Christian creed& And then: $he ban! collapsed& %stood and hoo!ed at the *rec!ed machine< $he *heels*ith blo*=holes stopped *ith putty and painted> $herotten bolts, the bro!en rods> And only the hopper .orsouls 2t to be used again %n a ne* devourer o.li.e, )hen ne*spapers, +udges and money=



magicians Build over again& % *as stripped to the bone,but % lay in the Roc! o. Ages, Seeing no* through thegame, no longer a dupe, And !no*ing 50the upright shalld*ell in the land But the years o. the *ic!ed shall be

shortened&5 $hen suddenly, (r& Meyers discovered Acancer in my liver& % *as not, a.ter all, the particular careo. -od )hy, even thus standing on a pea! Above themists through *hich % had climbed, And ready .or largerli.e in the *orld, Eternal .orces Moved me on *ith apush&

Harry )ilmans

% )AS +ust turned t*enty=one, And Henry "hipps, theSunday=school superintendent, Made a speech in Bindle0s4pera House& 5$he honor o. the 7ag must be upheld,5 hesaid, 5)hether it be assailed by a barbarous tribe o.

$agalogs 4r the greatest po*er in Europe&5 And *echeered and cheered the speech and the 7ag he*aved As he spo!e& And % *ent to the *ar in spite o. my.ather, And .ollo*ed the 7ag till % sa* it raised By ourcamp in a rice 2eld near Manila, And all o. us cheeredand cheered it& But there *ere 7ies and poisonousthings> And there *as the deadly *ater, And the cruelheat, And the sic!ening, putrid .ood> And the smell o.the trench +ust bac! o. the tents )here the soldiers *entto empty themselves> And there *ere the *hores *ho.ollo*ed us, .ull o. syphilis> And beastly acts bet*eenourselves or alone, )ith bullying, hatred, degradation

among us, And days o. loathing and nights o. .ear $o thehour o. the charge through the steamings*amp, ollo*ing the 7ag, $ill % .ell *ith a scream, shotthrough the guts& 'o* there0s a 7ag over me in SpoonRiver& A 7ag? A 7ag?



ohn )asson

4H? the de*=*et grass o. the meado* in 'orthCarolina $hrough *hich Rebecca .ollo*ed me *ailing,

*ailing, 4ne child in her arms, and three that ran along*ailing, Lengthening out the .are*ell to me o1 to the *ar*ith the British, And then the long, hard years do*n tothe day o. or!to*n& And then my search .orRebecca, inding her at last in 9irginia, $*o childrendead in the mean*hile& )e *ent by o/en to

$ennessee, $hence a.ter years to %llinois, At last toSpoon River& )e cut the bu1alo grass, )e .elled the

.orests, )e built the school houses, built thebridges, Leveled the roads and tilled the 2elds Alone*ith poverty, scourges, death< %. Harry )ilmans *ho.ought the ilipinos %s to have a 7ag on his grave $a!e it.rom mine&

Many Soldiers

$HE idea danced be.ore us as a 7ag> $he sound o.martial music> $he thrill o. carrying a gun> Advancementin the *orld on coming home> A glint o. glory, *rath .or.oes> A dream o. duty to country or to -od& But these*ere things in ourselves, shining be.ore us, $hey *erenot the po*er behind us, )hich *as the Almighty hando. Li.e, Li!e 2re at earth0s center ma!ing mountains, 4rpent up *aters that cut them through& (o you rememberthe iron band $he blac!smith, Shac! (ye,

*elded Around the oa! on Bennet0s la*n, rom *hich tos*ing a hammoc!, $hat daughter anet might repose in,reading 4n summer a.ternoons; And that the gro*ingtree at last Sundered the iron band; But not a cell in allthe tree 3ne* aught save that it thrilled *ith li.e, 'orcared because the hammoc! .ell %n the dust *ith Milton0s



"oems&

-od*in ames

HARR )%LMA'S? ou *ho .ell in a s*amp 'ear Manila,.ollo*ing the 7ag ou *ere not *ounded by thegreatness o. a dream, 4r destroyed by ine1ectual*or!, 4r driven to madness by Satanic snags> ou *erenot torn by aching nerves, 'or did you carry great*ounds to your old age& ou did not starve, .or thegovernment .ed you& ou did not su1er yet cry5.or*ard5 $o an army *hich you led Against a .oe *ith

moc!ing smiles, Sharper than bayonets& ou *ere notsmitten do*n By invisible bombs& ou *ere notre+ected By those .or *hom you *ere de.eated& ou didnot eat the savorless bread )hich a poor alchemy hadmade .rom ideals& ou *ent to Manila, Harry)ilmans, )hile % enlisted in the bedraggled army 4.bright=eyed, divine youths, )ho surged .or*ard, *ho*ere driven bac! and .ell Sic!, bro!en, crying, shorn o..aith, ollo*ing the 7ag o. the 3ingdom o. Heaven& ouand %, Harry )ilmans, have .allen %n our several *ays,not !no*ing -ood .rom bad, de.eat .rom victory, 'or*hat .ace it is that smiles Behind the demoniac mas!&

Lyman 3ing

48 may thin!, passer=by, that ate %s a pit=.all outsideo. yoursel., Around *hich you may *al! by the use o.

.oresight And *isdom& $hus you believe, vie*ing thelives o. other men, As one *ho in -od=li!e .ashion bendsover an anthill, Seeing ho* their di@culties could beavoided& But pass on into li.e: %n time you shall see ateapproach you %n the shape o. your o*n image in themirror> 4r you shall sit alone by your o*n hearth, And



suddenly the chair by you shall hold a guest, And youshall !no* that guest And read the authentic message o. his eyes&

Caroline Branson

)%$H our hearts li!e dri.ting suns, had *e but*al!ed, As o.ten be.ore, the April 2elds till star<light Sil!ened over *ith vie*less gau#e thedar!ness 8nder the cli1, our trysting place in the*ood, )here the broo! turns? Had *e but passed .rom*ooing Li!e notes o. music that run together, into

*inning, %n the inspired improvisation o. love? But to putbac! o. us as a canticle ended $he rapt enchantment o.the 7esh, %n *hich our souls s*ooned, do*n,do*n, )here time *as not, nor space, nor ourselves< Annihilated in love? $o leave these behind .or a room*ith lamps: And to stand *ith our Secret moc!ingitsel., And hiding itsel. amid 7o*ers andmandolins, Stared at by all bet*een salad andco1ee& And to see him tremble, and .eelmysel. "rescient, as one *ho signs a bond< 'ot 7aming*ith gi.ts and pledges heaped )ith rosy hands over hisbro*& And then, 4 night? deliberate? unlovely? )ith all o. our *ooing blotted out by the *inning, %n a chosen roomin an hour that *as !no*n to all? 'e/t day he sat solistless, almost cold So strangely changed, *ondering*hy % *ept, $ill a !ind o. sic! despair and voluptuousmadness Sei#ed us to ma!e the pact o. death& A stal! o.

the earth=sphere, rail as star=light> )aiting to be dra*nonce again %nto creation0s stream& But ne/t time to begiven birth -a#ed at by Raphael and St&rancis Sometimes as they pass& or % am their littlebrother, $o be !no*n clearly .ace to .ace $hrough acycle o. birth herea.ter run& ou may !no* the seed and



the soil> ou may .eel the cold rain .all, But only theearth<sphere, only heaven 3no*s the secret o. theseed %n the nuptial chamber under the soil& $hro* meinto the stream again, -ive me another trial< Save me,

Shelley?

Anne Rutledge

48$ o. me un*orthy and un!no*n $he vibrations o.deathless music> 5)ith malice to*ard none, *ith charity.or all&0, 4ut o. me the .orgiveness o. millions to*ardmillions, And the bene2cent .ace o. a nation Shining

*ith +ustice and truth& % am Anne Rutledge *ho sleepbeneath these *eeds, Beloved in li.e o. AbrahamLincoln, )edded to him, not through union, But throughseparation& Bloom .orever, 4 Republic, rom the dust o.my bosom?

Hamlet Micure

%' a lingering .ever many visions come to you: % *as in

the little house again )ith its great yard o.clover Running do*n to the board=.ence, Shado*ed bythe oa! tree, )here *e children had our s*ing& et thelittle house *as a manor hall Set in a la*n, and by thela*n *as the sea& % *as in the room *here little"aul Strangled .rom diphtheria, But yet it *as not thisroom< %t *as a sunny verandah enclosed )ithmullioned *indo*s And in a chair sat a man in a dar!

cloa! )ith a .ace li!e Euripides& He had come to visitme, or % had gone to visit him<% could not tell& )e couldhear the beat o. the sea, the clover nodded 8nder asummer *ind, and little "aul came )ith clover blossomsto the *indo* and smiled& $hen % said: 5)hat is 5divinedespair5 Al.red;5 5Have you read 0$ears, %dle $ears0;5 he



as!ed& 5es, but you do not there e/press divinedespair&5 5My poor .riend,5 he ans*ered, 5that *as *hythe despair )as divine&5

Mabel 4sborne

48R red blossoms amid green leaves Are drooping,beauti.ul geranium? But you do not as! .or *ater& oucannot spea!? ou do not need to spea!< Everyone!no*s that you are dying o. thirst, et they do not bring*ater? $hey pass on, saying: 5$he geranium *ants*ater&5 And %, *ho had happiness to share And longed to

share your happiness> % *ho loved you, Spoon River, Andcraved your love, )ithered be.ore your eyes, SpoonRiver< $hirsting, thirsting, 9oiceless .rom chasteness o.soul to as! you .or love, ou *ho !ne* and sa* meperish be.ore you, Li!e this geranium *hich someone hasplanted over me, And le.t to die&

)illiam H& Herndon

$HERE by the *indo* in the old house "erched on theblu1, overloo!ing miles o. valley, My days o. laborclosed, sitting out li.e0s decline, (ay by day did % loo! inmy memory, As one *ho ga#es in an enchantress0 crystalglobe, And % sa* the 2gures o. the past As i. in apageant glassed by a shining dream, Move through theincredible sphere o. time& And % sa* a man arise .rom thesoil li!e a .abled giant And thro* himsel. over a

deathless destiny, Master o. great armies, head o. therepublic, Bringing together into a dithyramb o. recreativesong $he epic hopes o. a people> At the same time9ulcan o. sovereign 2res, )here imperishable shieldsand s*ords *ere beaten out rom spirits tempered inheaven& Loo! in the crystal? See ho* he hastens on $o



the place *here his path comes up to the path 4. a childo. "lutarch and Sha!espeare& 4 Lincoln, actor indeed,playing *ell your part And Booth, *ho strode in a mimicplay *ithin the play, 4.ten and o.ten % sa* you, As the

ca*ing cro*s *inged their *ay to the *ood 4ver myhouse<top at solemn sunsets, $here by my*indo*, Alone&

Ruther.ord Mc(o*ell

$HE brought me ambrotypes 4. the old pioneers toenlarge& And sometimes one sat .or me< Some one *ho

*as in being )hen giant hands .rom the *omb o. the*orld $ore the republic& )hat *as it in their eyes;< or% could never .athom $hat mystical pathos o. droopedeyelids, And the serene sorro* o. their eyes& %t *as li!e apool o. *ater, Amid oa! trees at the edge o. a.orest, )here the leaves .all, As you hear the cro* o. acoc! rom a .ar<o1 .arm house, seen near thehills )here the third generation lives, and the strongmen And the strong *omen are gone and .orgotten& Andthese grand<children and great grand=children 4. thepioneers? $ruly did my camera record their .aces,too, )ith so much o. the old strength gone, And the old.aith gone, And the old mastery o. li.e gone, And the oldcourage gone, )hich labors and loves and su1ers andsings 8nder the sun?

Hannah Armstrong

% )R4$E him a letter as!ing him .or old times, sa!e $odischarge my sic! boy .rom the army> But maybe hecouldn0t read it& $hen % *ent to to*n and had ames-arber, )ho *rote beauti.ully, *rite him a letter& Butmaybe that *as lost in the mails& So % traveled all the



*ay to )ashington& % *as more than an hour 2nding the)hite House& And *hen % .ound it they turned mea*ay, Hiding their smiles& $hen % thought: 54h, *ell, heain0t the same as *hen % boarded him And he and my

husband *or!ed together And all o. us called him Abe,there in Menard&5 As a last attempt % turned to a guardand said: 5"lease say it0s old Aunt HannahArmstrong rom %llinois, come to see him about her sic!boy %n the army&5 )ell, +ust in a moment they let mein? And *hen he sa* me he bro!e in a laugh, Anddropped his business as president, And *rote in his o*nhand (oug0s discharge, $al!ing the *hile o. the early

days, And telling stories&

Lucinda Matloc!

% )E'$ to the dances at Chandlerville, And playedsnap=out at )inchester& 4ne time *e changedpartners, (riving home in the moonlight o. middle

une, And then % .ound (avis& )e *ere married and livedtogether .or seventy years, En+oying, *or!ing, raising thet*elve children, Eight o. *hom *e lost Ere % had reachedthe age o. si/ty& % spun, % *ove, % !ept the house, %nursed the sic!, % made the garden, and .orholiday Rambled over the 2elds *here sang thelar!s, And by Spoon River gathering many a shell, Andmany a 7o*er and medicinal *eed< Shouting to the*ooded hills, singing to the green valleys& At ninety<si/% had lived enough, that is all, And passed to a s*eet

repose& )hat is this % hear o. sorro* and*eariness, Anger, discontent and droopinghopes; (egenerate sons and daughters, Li.e is toostrong .or you< %t ta!es li.e to love Li.e&

(avis Matloc!



S8""4SE it is nothing but the hive: $hat there aredrones and *or!ers And ueens, and nothing but storinghoney< DMaterial things as *ell as culture and *isdom< or the ne/t generation, this generation never

living, E/cept as it s*arms in the sun=light o.youth, Strengthening its *ings on *hat has beengathered, And tasting, on the *ay to the hive rom theclover 2eld, the delicate spoil& Suppose all this, andsuppose the truth: $hat the nature o. man isgreater $han nature0s need in the hive> And you mustbear the burden o. li.e, As *ell as the urge .rom yourspirit0s e/cess< )ell, % say to live it out li!e a god Sure

o. immortal li.e, though you are in doubt, %s the *ay tolive it& %. that doesn0t ma!e -od proud o. you $hen -odis nothing but gravitation 4r sleep is the golden goal&

ennie M0-re*

'4$, *here the stair*ay turns in the dar! A hooded2gure, shriveled under a 7o*ing cloa!? 'ot yello* eyesin the room at night, Staring out .rom a sur.ace o.cob*eb gray? And not the 7ap o. a condor *ing )henthe roar o. li.e in your ears begins As a sound heardnever be.ore? But on a sunny a.ternoon, By a countryroad, )here purple rag=*eeds bloom along a straggling.ence And the 2eld is gleaned, and the air is still $o seeagainst the sun=light something blac! Li!e a blot *ith aniris rim< $hat is the sign to eyes o. second sight& & & Andthat % sa*?

Columbus Cheney

$H%S *eeping *illo*? )hy do you not plant a .e* orthe millions o. children not yet born, As *ell as .orus; Are they not non=e/istent, or cells asleep )ithout



mind; 4r do they come to earth, their birth Rupturingthe memory o. previous being; Ans*er? $he 2eld o.une/plored intuition is yours& But in any case *hy notplant *illo*s .or them, As *ell as .or us; Marie

Bateson ou observe the carven hand )ith the inde/2nger pointing heaven*ard& $hat is the direction, nodoubt& But ho* shall one .ollo* it; %t is *ell to abstain.rom murder and lust, $o .orgive, do good to others,*orship -od )ithout graven images& But these aree/ternal means a.ter all By *hich you chie7y do good toyoursel.& $he inner !ernel is .reedom, %t is light, purity< % can no more, ind the goal or lose it, according to

your vision&

$ennessee Cla7in Shope

% )AS the laughing=stoc! o. the village, Chie7y o. thepeople o. good sense, as they call themselves< Also o.the learned, li!e Rev& "eet, *ho read -ree! $he same asEnglish& or instead o. tal!ing .ree trade, 4r preachingsome .orm o. baptism> %nstead o. believing in thee@cacy 4. *al!ing crac!s, pic!ing up pins the right*ay, Seeing the ne* moon over the right shoulder, 4rcuring rheumatism *ith blue glass, % asserted thesovereignty o. my o*n soul& Be.ore Mary Ba!er -& Eddyeven got started )ith *hat she called science % hadmastered the 5Bhagavad -ita,5 And cured my soul,be.ore Mary Began to cure bodies *ith souls< "eace toall *orlds?

%manuel Ehrenhardt

% BE-A' *ith Sir )illiam Hamilton0s lectures& $henstudied (ugald Ste*art> And then ohn Loc!e on the8nderstanding, And then (escartes, ichte and



Schelling, 3ant and then Schopenhauer< Boo!s %borro*ed .rom old udge Somers& All read *ith rapturousindustry Hoping it *as reserved to me $o grasp the tailo. the ultimate secret, And drag it out o. its hole& My

soul 7e* up ten thousand miles And only the moonloo!ed a little bigger& $hen % .ell bac!, ho* glad o. theearth? All through the soul o. )illiam ones )ho sho*edme a letter o. ohn Muir&

Samuel -ardner

% )H4 !ept the greenhouse, Lover o. trees and

7o*ers, 4.t in li.e sa* this umbrageous elm, Measuringits generous branches *ith my eye, And listened to itsre+oicing leaves Lovingly patting each other )ith s*eetaeolian *hispers& And *ell they might: or the roots hadgro*n so *ide and deep $hat the soil o. the hill could not*ithhold Aught o. its virtue, enriched by rain, And*armed by the sun> But yielded it all to the thri.tyroots, $hrough *hich it *as dra*n and *hirled to thetrun!, And thence to the branches, and into theleaves, )here.rom the bree#e too! li.e and sang& 'o* %,an under<tenant o. the earth, can see $hat thebranches o. a tree Spread no *ider than its roots& Andho* shall the soul o. a man Be larger than the li.e he haslived;

(o* 3ritt

SAM8EL is .orever tal!ing o. his elm< But % did notneed to die to learn about roots: %, *ho dug all theditches about Spoon River& Loo! at my elm? Sprung .romas good a seed as his, So*n at the same time, %t is dyingat the top: 'ot .rom lac! o. li.e, nor .ungus, 'ordestroying insect, as the se/ton thin!s& Loo!, Samuel,



*here the roots have struc! roc!, And can no .urtherspread& And all the *hile the top o. the tree %s tiringitsel. out, and dying, $rying to gro*&

)illiam ones

4'CE in a *hile a curious *eed un!no*n tome, 'eeding a name .rom my boo!s> 4nce in a *hile aletter .rom eomans& 4ut o. the mussel=shells gatheredalong the shore Sometimes a pearl *ith a glint li!emeado* rue: $hen betimes a letter .rom $yndall inEngland, Stamped *ith the stamp o. Spoon River& %,

lover o. 'ature, beloved .or my love o. her, Held suchconverse a.ar *ith the great )ho !ne* her better than%& 4h, there is neither lesser nor greater, Save as *ema!e her greater and *in .rom her !eener delight& )ithshells .rom the river cover me, cover me& % lived in*onder, *orshipping earth and heaven& % have passed onthe march eternal o. endless li.e&

)illiam -oode

$o all in the village % seemed, no doubt, $o go this *ayand that *ay, aimlessly& & But here by the river you cansee at t*ilight $he so.t<*inged bats 7y #ig=#ag here andthere< $hey must 7y so to catch their .ood& And i. youhave ever lost your *ay at night, %n the deep *ood nearMiller0s ord, And dodged this *ay and no*that, )herever the light o. the Mil!y )ay shone

through, $rying to 2nd the path, ou should understand %sought the *ay )ith earnest #eal, and all my*anderings )ere *anderings in the uest&

& Milton Miles



)HE'E9ER the "resbyterian bell )as rung by itsel., %!ne* it as the "resbyterian bell& But *hen its sound *asmingled )ith the sound o. the Methodist, theChristian, $he Baptist and the Congregational, % could no

longer distinguish it, 'or any one .rom the others, oreither o. them& And as many voices called to me inli.e Marvel not that % could not tell $he true .rom the.alse, 'or even, at last, the voice that % should have!no*n&

aith Matheny

A$ 2rst you *ill !no* not *hat they mean, And you maynever !no*, And *e may never tell you:< $hese sudden7ashes in your soul, Li!e lambent lightning on sno*yclouds At midnight *hen the moon is .ull& $hey come insolitude, or perhaps ou sit *ith your .riend, and all atonce A silence .alls on speech, and his eyes )ithout a7ic!er glo* at you:< ou t*o have seen the secrettogether, He sees it in you, and you in him& And thereyou sit thrilling lest the Mystery Stand be.ore you andstri!e you dead )ith a splendor li!e the sun0s& Be brave,all souls *ho have such visions As your body0s alive asmine is dead, ou0re catching a little *hi1 o. theether Reserved .or -od Himsel.&

)illie Metcal.

% )AS )illie Metcal.& $hey used to call me 5(octor

Meyers,5 Because, they said, % loo!ed li!e him& And he*as my .ather, according to ac! Mc-uire& % lived in thelivery stable, Sleeping on the 7oor Side by side *ithRoger Baughman0s bulldog, 4r sometimes in a stall& %could cra*l bet*een the legs o. the *ildesthorses )ithout getting !ic!ed<*e !ne* each other& 4n



spring days % tramped through the country $o get the.eeling, *hich % sometimes lost, $hat % *as not a separatething .rom the earth& % used to lose mysel., as i. insleep, By lying *ith eyes hal.=open in the

*oods& Sometimes % tal!ed *ith animals<even toads andsna!es< Anything that had an eye to loo! into& 4nce %sa* a stone in the sunshine $rying to turn into +elly& %nApril days in this cemetery $he dead people gathered allabout me, And gre* still, li!e a congregation in silentprayer& % never !ne* *hether % *as a part o. theearth )ith 7o*ers gro*ing in me, or *hether % *al!ed< 'o* % !no*&

)illie "ennington

$HE called me the *ea!ling, the simpleton, or mybrothers *ere strong and beauti.ul, )hile %, the last childo. parents *ho had aged, %nherited only their residue o.po*er& But they, my brothers, *ere eaten up %n the .uryo. the 7esh, *hich % had not, Made pulp in the activity o.the senses, *hich % had not, Hardened by the gro*th o.the lusts, *hich % had not, $hough ma!ing names andriches .or themselves& $hen %, the *ea! one, thesimpleton, Resting in a little corner o. li.e, Sa* a vision,and through me many sa* the vision, 'ot !no*ing it *asthrough me& $hus a tree sprang rom me, a mustardseed&

$he 9illage Atheist

E young debaters over the doctrine 4. the soul0simmortality % *ho lie here *as the villageatheist, $al!ative, contentious, versed in thearguments 4. the in2dels& But through a longsic!ness Coughing mysel. to death % read



the 8panishads and the poetry o. esus& And theylighted a torch o. hope and intuition And desire *hich theShado* Leading me s*i.tly through the caverns o.dar!ness, Could not e/tinguish& Listen to me, ye *ho

live in the senses And thin! through the sensesonly: %mmortality is not a gi.t, %mmortality is anachievement> And only those *ho strive mightily Shallpossess it&

ohn Ballard

%' the lust o. my strength % cursed -od, but he paid no

attention to me: % might as *ell have cursed the stars& %nmy last sic!ness % *as in agony, but % *as resolute And %cursed -od .or my su1ering> Still He paid no attention tome> He le.t me alone, as He had al*ays done& % might as*ell have cursed the "resbyterian steeple& $hen, as %gre* *ea!er, a terror came over me: "erhaps % hadalienated -od by cursing him& 4ne day Lydia Humphreybrought me a bouuet And it occurred to me to try toma!e .riends *ith -od, So % tried to ma!e .riends *ithHim> But % might as *ell have tried to ma!e .riends *iththe bouuet& 'o* % *as very close to the secret, or %really could ma!e .riends *ith the bouuet By holdingclose to me the love in me .or the bouuet And so % *ascreeping upon the secret, but<

ulian Scott

$4)AR( the last $he truth o. others *as untruth tome> $he +ustice o. others in+ustice to me> $heir reasons.or death, reasons *ith me .or li.e> $heir reasons .or li.e,reasons *ith me .or death> % *ould have !illed those theysaved, And save those they !illed& And % sa* ho* a god,i. brought to earth, Must act out *hat he sa* and



thought, And could not live in this *orld o. men And actamong them side by side )ithout continual clashes& $hedust0s .or cra*ling, heaven0s .or 7ying< )here.ore, 4soul, *hose *ings are gro*n, Soar up*ard to the sun?

Al.onso Churchill

$HE laughed at me as 5"ro.& Moon,5 As a boy in SpoonRiver, born *ith the thirst 4. !no*ing about thestars& $hey +eered *hen % spo!e o. the lunarmountains, And the thrilling heat and cold, And the ebonvalleys by silver pea!s, And Spica uadrillions o. miles

a*ay, And the littleness o. man& But no* that my graveis honored, .riends, Let it not be because % taught $helore o. the stars in 3no/ College, But rather .or this: thatthrough the stars % preached the greatness o. man, )hois none the less a part o. the scheme o. things or thedistance o. Spica or the Spiral 'ebulae> 'or any the lessa part o. the uestion 4. *hat the drama means&

6ilpha Marsh

A$ .our o0cloc! in late 4ctober % sat alone in the countryschool=house Bac! .rom the road, mid stric!en2elds, And an eddy o. *ind ble* leaves on thepane, And crooned in the 7ue o. the cannon=stove, )ithits open door blurring the shado*s )ith the spectralglo* o. a dying 2re& %n an idle mood % *as running theplanchette< All at once my *rist gre* limp, And my

hand moved rapidly over the board, 0$ill the name o.5Charles -uiteau5 *as spelled, )ho threatened tomateriali#e be.ore me& % rose and 7ed .rom the roombare=headed %nto the dus!, a.raid o. my gi.t& And a.terthat the spirits s*armed< Chaucer, Caesar, "oe andMarlo*e, Cleopatra and Mrs& Surratt< )herever % *ent,



*ith messages,< Mere tri7ing t*addle, Spoon Riveragreed& ou tal! nonsense to children, don0t you; Andsuppose % see *hat you never sa* And never heard o.and have no *ord .or, % must tal! nonsense *hen you

as! me )hat it is % see?

ames -arber

(o you remember, passer=by, the path % *ore across thelot *here no* stands the opera house Hasting *ith s*i.t.eet to *or! through many years; $a!e its meaning toheart: ou too may *al!, a.ter the hills at Miller0s

ord Seem no longer .ar a*ay> Long a.ter you see themnear at hand, Beyond .our miles o. meado*> And a.ter*oman0s love is silent Saying no more: 5l *ill saveyou&5 And a.ter the .aces o. .riends and !indred Becomeas .aded photographs, piti.ully silent, Sad .or the loo!*hich means: 5)e cannot help you&5 And a.ter you nolonger reproach man!ind )ith being in league againstyour soul0s upli.ted hands< $hemselves compelled atmidnight and at noon $o *atch *ith stead.ast eye theirdestinies> A.ter you have these understandings, thin! o.me And o. my path, *ho *al!ed therein and !ne* $hatneither man nor *oman, neither toil, 'or duty, gold norpo*er Can ease the longing o. the soul, $he lonelinesso. the soul?

Lydia Humphrey

BAC3 and .orth, bac! and .orth, to and .rom thechurch, )ith my Bible under my arm 0$ill % *as gray andold> 8n*edded, alone in the *orld, inding brothers andsisters in the congregation, And children in the church& %!no* they laughed and thought me ueer& % !ne* o. theeagle souls that 7e* high in the sunlight, Above the spire



o. the church, and laughed at the church, (isdaining me,not seeing me& But i. the high air *as s*eet to them,s*eet *as the church to me& %t *as the vision, vision,vision o. the poets (emocrati#ed?

Le Roy -oldman

)HA$ *ill you do *hen you come to die, %. all your li.elong you have re+ected esus, And !no* as you liethere, He is not your .riend;5 4ver and over % said, %, therevivalist& Ah, yes? but there are .riends and .riends& Andblessed are you, say %, *ho !no* all no*, ou *ho have

lost ere you pass, A .ather or mother, or old grand.atheror mother Some beauti.ul soul that lived li.estrongly And !ne* you all through, and loved youever, )ho *ould not .ail to spea! .or you, And give -odan intimate vie* o. your soul As only one o. your 7eshcould do it& $hat is the hand your hand *ill reach .or, $olead you along the corridor $o the court *here you are astranger?

-ustav Richter

A$ER a long day o. *or! in my hot<houses Sleep *ass*eet, but i. you sleep on your le.t side our dreams maybe abruptly ended& % *as among my 7o*ers *here someone Seemed to be raising them on trial, As i. a.ter=*hileto be transplanted $o a larger garden o. .reer air& And %*as disembodied vision Amid a light, as it *ere the

sun Had 7oated in and touched the roo. o. glass Li!e atoy balloon and so.tly bursted, And ethereali#ed ingolden air& And all *as silence, e/cept the splendor )asimmanent *ith thought as clear As a spea!ing voice, and%, as thought, Could hear a "resence thin! as he*al!ed Bet*een the bo/es pinching o1 leaves, Loo!ing



.or bugs and noting values, )ith an eye that sa* itall: 5Homer, oh yes? "ericles, good& Caesar Borgia, *hatshall be done *ith it; (ante, too much manure,perhaps& 'apoleon, leave him a*hile as yet& Shelley,

more soil& Sha!espeare, needs spraying<5 Clouds, eh?<

Arlo )ill

(%( you ever see an alligator Come up to the air .romthe mud, Staring blindly under the .ull glare o.noon; Have you seen the stabled horses atnight $remble and start bac! at the sight o. a

lantern; Have you ever *al!ed in dar!ness )hen anun!no*n door *as open be.ore you And you stood, itseemed, in the light o. a thousand candles 4. delicate*a/; Have you *al!ed *ith the *ind in your ears Andthe sunlight about you And .ound it suddenly shine *ithan inner splendor; 4ut o. the mud many times Be.oremany doors o. light $hrough many 2elds o.splendor, )here around your steps a soundless gloryscatters Li!e ne*<.allen sno*, )ill you go throughearth, 4 strong o. soul, And through unnumberedheavens $o the 2nal 7ame?

Captain 4rlando 3illion

4H, 48 young radicals and dreamers, ou dauntless7edglings )ho pass by my headstone, Moc! not itsrecord o. my captaincy in the army And my .aith in

-od? $hey are not denials o. each other& -o byreverently, and read *ith sober care Ho* a great people,riding *ith de2ant shouts $he centaur o.Revolution, Spurred and *hipped to .ren#y, Shoo! *ithterror, seeing the mist o. the sea 4ver the precipice they*ere nearing, And .ell .rom his bac! in precipitate



a*e $o celebrate the east o. the Supreme Being& Movedby the same sense o. vast reality 4. li.e and death, andburdened as they *ere )ith the .ate o. a race, Ho* *as%, a little blasphemer, Caught in the dri.t o. a nation0s

unloosened 7ood, $o remain a blasphemer, And acaptain in the army;

oseph (i/on

)H4 carved this shattered harp on my stone; % died toyou, no doubt& But ho* many harps and pianos )ired %and tightened and disentangled .or you, Ma!ing them

s*eet again<*ith tuning .or! or *ithout; 4h *ell? Aharp leaps out o. the ear o. a man, you say, But *hencethe ear that orders the length o. the strings $o a magic o. numbers 7ying be.ore your thought $hrough a door thatcloses against your breathless *onder; %s there no Earround the ear o. a man, that it senses $hrough stringsand columns o. air the soul o. sound; % thrill as % call it atuning .or! that catches $he *aves o. mingled music andlight .rom a.ar, $he antennae o. $hought that listensthrough utmost space& Surely the concord that ruled myspirit is proo. 4. an Ear that tuned me, able to tune meover And use me again i. % am *orthy to use&

Russell 3incaid

%' the last spring % ever !ne*, %n those last days, % sat inthe .orsa!en orchard )here beyond 2elds o. greenery

shimmered $he hills at Miller0s ord> ust to muse on theapple tree )ith its ruined trun! and blastedbranches, And shoots o. green *hose delicateblossoms )ere sprin!led over the s!eleton tangle, 'everto gro* in .ruit& And there *as % *ith my spirit girded Bythe 7esh hal. dead, the senses numb et thin!ing o.



youth and the earth in youth,< Such phantom blossomspalely shining 4ver the li.eless boughs o. $ime& 4 earththat leaves us ere heaven ta!es us? Had % been only atree to shiver )ith dreams o. spring and a lea.y

youth, $hen % had .allen in the cyclone )hich s*ept meout o. the soul0s suspense )here it0s neither earth norheaven&

Aaron Hat2eld

BE$$ER than granite, Spoon River, %s the memory=picture you !eep o. me Standing be.ore the pioneer men

and *omen $here at Concord Church on Communionday& Spea!ing in bro!en voice o. the peasant youth 4.-alilee *ho *ent to the city And *as !illed by ban!ersand la*yers> My voice mingling *ith the une *ind $hatble* over *heat 2elds .rom Atterbury> )hile the *hitestones in the burying ground Around the Churchshimmered in the summer sun& And there, though myo*n memories )ere too great to bear, *ere you, 4pioneers, )ith bo*ed heads breathing .orth yoursorro* or the sons !illed in battle and thedaughters And little children *ho vanished in li.e0smorning, 4r at the intolerable hour o. noon& But in thosemoments o. tragic silence, )hen the *ine and bread*ere passed, Came the reconciliation .or us< 8s theploughmen and the he*ers o. *ood, 8s the peasants,brothers o. the peasant o. -alilee< $o us came theCom.orter And the consolation o. tongues o. 7ame?

%saiah Beethoven

$HE told me % had three months to live, So % crept toBernadotte, And sat by the mill .or hours andhours )here the gathered *aters deeply



moving Seemed not to move: 4 *orld, that0s you? ouare but a *idened place in the river )here Li.e loo!sdo*n and *e re+oice .or her Mirrored in us, and so *edream And turn a*ay, but *hen again )e loo! .or the

.ace, behold the lo*=lands And blasted cotton=*ood trees*here *e empty %nto the larger stream? But here by themill the castled clouds Moc!ed themselves in the di##y*ater> And over its agate 7oor at night $he 7ame o. themoon ran under my eyes Amid a .orest stillnessbro!en By a 7ute in a hut on the hill& At last *hen % cameto lie in bed )ea! and in pain, *ith the dreams aboutme, $he soul o. the river had entered my soul, And the

gathered po*er o. my soul *as moving So s*i.tly itseemed to be at rest 8nder cities o. cloud andunder Spheres o. silver and changing *orlds< 8ntil %sa* a 7ash o. trumpets Above the battlements over

$ime&

Eli+ah Bro*ning

% )AS among multitudes o. children (ancing at the .ooto. a mountain& A bree#e ble* out o. the east and s*eptthem as leaves, (riving some up the slopes& & & & All *aschanged& Here *ere 7ying lights, and mystic moons, anddream=music& A cloud .ell upon us& )hen it li.ted all *aschanged& % *as no* amid multitudes *ho *ere*rangling& $hen a 2gure in shimmering gold, and one*ith a trumpet, And one *ith a sceptre stood be.oreme& $hey moc!ed me and danced a rigadoon and

vanished& & & & All *as changed again& 4ut o. a bo*er o.poppies A *oman bared her breasts and li.ted her openmouth to mine& % !issed her& $he taste o. her lips *as li!esalt& She le.t blood on my lips& % .ell e/hausted& % aroseand ascended higher, but a mist as .rom aniceberg Clouded my steps& % *as cold and in pain& $hen



the sun streamed on me again, And % sa* the mistsbelo* me hiding all belo* them& And %, bent over mysta1, !ne* mysel. Silhouetted against the sno*& Andabove me )as the soundless air, pierced by a cone o.

ice, 4ver *hich hung a solitary star? A shudder o.ecstasy, a shudder o. .ear Ran through me& But % couldnot return to the slopes< 'ay, % *ished not toreturn& or the spent *aves o. the symphony o..reedom Lapped the ethereal cli1s about me& $here.ore %climbed to the pinnacle& % 7ung a*ay my sta1& % touchedthat star )ith my outstretched hand& % vanishedutterly& or the mountain delivers to %n2nite

$ruth )hosoever touches the star&

)ebster ord

(o you remember, 4 (elphic Apollo, $he sunset hour bythe river, *hen Mic!ey M0-re* Cried, 5$here0s a ghost,5and %, 5%t0s (elphic Apollo,5& And the son o. the ban!erderided us, saying, 5%t0s light By the 7ags at the *ater0sedge, you hal.=*itted .ools&5 And .rom thence, as the*earisome years rolled on, long a.ter "oor Mic!ey .elldo*n in the *ater to*er to his death (o*n, do*n,through bello*ing dar!ness, % carried $he vision *hichperished *ith him li!e a roc!et *hich .alls And uenchesits light in earth, and hid it .or .ear 4. the son o. theban!er, calling on "lutus to save me; Avenged *ere you.or the shame o. a .ear.ul heart )ho le.t me alone till %sa* you again in an hour )hen % seemed to be turned to

a tree *ith trun! and branches -ro*ing indurate, turningto stone, yet burgeoning %n laurel leaves, in hosts o.lambent laurel, uivering, 7uttering, shrin!ing, 2ghtingthe numbness Creeping into their veins .rom the dyingtrun! and branches? 0$is vain, 4 youth, to 7y the call o.Apollo& ling yourselves in the 2re, die *ith a song o.



spring, %. die you must in the spring& or none shallloo! 4n the .ace o. Apollo and live, and choose youmust 0$*i/t death in the 7ame and death a.ter years o.sorro*, Rooted .ast in the earth, .eeling the grisly

hand, 'ot so much in the trun! as in the terriblenumbness Creeping up to the laurel leaves that nevercease $o 7ourish until you .all& 4 leaves o. me $oo sere.or coronal *reaths, and 2t alone or urns o. memory,treasured, perhaps, as themes or hearts heroic, .earlesssingers and livers< (elphic Apollo&

$he Spooniad

4 ohn Cabanis, *rath and o. the stri.e 4. hostileparties, and his dire de.eat )ho led the common peoplein the cause 4. .reedom .or Spoon River, and the .all 4.Rhodes, ban! that brought unnumbered *oes And loss tomany, *ith engendered hate $hat 7amed into the torchin Anarch hands $o burn the court<house, on *hoseblac!ened *rec! A .airer temple rose and "rogress stood< Sing, muse, that lit the Chian0s .ace *ith smiles )hosa* the ant=li!e -ree!s and $ro+ans cra*l AboutScamander, over *alls, pursued 4r else pursuing, andthe .uneral pyres And sacred hecatombs, and 2rstbecause 4. Helen *ho *ith "aris 7ed to $roy As soul=mate> and the *rath o. "eleus, son, (ecreed to loseChryseis, lovely spoil 4. *ar, and dearestconcubine& Say 2rst, $hou son o.night, called Momus, .rom *hose eyes 'o secret hides,

and $halia, smiling one, )hat bred 0t*i/t $homas Rhodesand ohn Cabanis $he deadly stri.e; His daughter lossie,she, Returning .rom her *andering *ith a troop 4.strolling players, *al!ed the village streets, Her braceletstin!ling and *ith spar!ling rings And *ords o. serpent*isdom and a smile 4. cunning in her eyes& $hen



$homas Rhodes, )ho ruled the church and ruled theban! as *ell, Made !no*n his disapproval o. themaid> And all Spoon River *hispered and the eyes 4. allthe church .ro*ned on her, till she !ne* $hey .eared her

and condemned& But them to7out She gave a dance to viols and to 7utes, Brought.rom "eoria, and many youths, But lately maderegenerate through the prayers 4. #ealous preachers ando. earnest souls, (anced merrily, and sought her in thedance, )ho *ore a dress so lo* o. nec! that eyes (o*nstraying might survey the sno*y s*ale 0$ill it *as lost in*hiteness& )ith the dance $he

village changed to merriment .rom gloom& $he milliner,Mrs& )illiams, could not 2ll Her orders .or ne* hats, andevery seamstress "lied busy needles ma!ing go*ns> oldtrun!s And chests *ere opened .or their store o.laces And rings and trin!ets *ere brought out o.hiding And all the youths .astidious gre* o. dress> 'otespassed, and many a .air one0s door at eve 3ne* abouuet, and strolling lovers thronged About the hills

that overloo!ed the river& $hen, since the mercy seatsmore empty sho*ed, 4ne o. -od0s chosen li.ted up hisvoice: 5$he *oman o. Babylon is among us> rise e sonso. light and drive the *anton .orth?5 So ohn Cabanis le.tthe church and le.t $he hosts o. la* and order *ith hiseyes By anger cleared, and him the liberalcause Acclaimed as nominee to the mayoralty $ovanuish A& (& Blood& But as the

*ar )aged bitterly .or votes and rumors 7e* About theban!, and o. the heavy loans )hich Rhodes, son hadmade to prop his loss %n *heat, and many dre* their coinand le.t $he ban! o. Rhodes more hollo*, *ith thetal! Among the liberals o. another ban! Soon to bechartered, lo, the bubble burst 0Mid cries and curses> but



the liberals laughed And in the hall o. 'icholas Bindleheld )ise converse and inspiriting debate&

High on a stage that overloo!ed the chairs )here

do#ens sat, and *here a pop<eyed daub 4.Sha!espeare, very li!e the hired man 4. Christian(allman, bro* and pointed beard, 8pon a drabproscenium out*ard stared, Sat Harmon )hitney, to thateminence, By merit raised in ribaldry and guile, And tothe assembled rebels thus he spa!e: 5)hether to liesupine and let a cliue Cold=blooded, scheming, hungry,singing psalms, (evour our substance, *rec! our ban!s

and drain 4ur little hoards .or ha#ards on the price 4.*heat or por!, or yet to co*er beneath $he shado* o. aspire upreared to curb A breed o. lac!eys and to servethe ban! Coad+utor in greed, that is the uestion& Shall*e have music and the +ocund dance, 4r tolling bells; 4rshall young romance roam $hese hills about the river,7o*ering no* $o April0s tears, or shall they sit athome, 4r play crouet *here $homas Rhodes may see, %

as! you; %. the blood o. youth runs o0er And riots 0gainstthis regimen o. gloom, Shall *e submit to have theseyouths and maids Branded as libertines and*antons;5 Ere His *ords *eredone a *oman0s voice called 5'o?5 $hen rose a sound o.moving chairs, as *hen $he numerous s*ine o0er=run thereplenished troughs> And every head *as turned, as*hen a 7oc! 4. geese bac!=turning to the hunter0stread Rise up *ith 7apping *ings> then rang thehall )ith riotous laughter, .or *ith battered hat $iltedupon her saucy head, and 2st Raised in de2ance, (aisyraser stood& Headlong she had been hurled .rom out thehall Save )endell Bloyd, *ho spo!e .or *oman0srights, "revented, and the bello*ing voice o.



Burchard& $hen, mid applause she hastened to*ard thestage And 7ung both gold and silver to the cause Ands*i.tly le.t the hall& Meantimeupstood A giant 2gure, bearded li!e the son 4. Alcmene,

deep=chested, round o. paunch, And spo!e in thunder:54ver there behold A man *ho .or the truth *ithstood his*i.e< Such is our spirit<*hen that A& (&Blood Compelled me to remove (om "edro<5 uic! Be.ore im Bro*n could2nish, e1erson Ho*ard 4btained the 7oor and spa!e: 5%llsuits the time or clo*nish *ords, and trivial is ourcause %. naught0s at sta!e but ohn Cabanis, *rath, He

*ho *as erst*hile o. the other side And came to us .orvengeance& More0s at sta!e $han triumph .or 'e*England or 9irginia& And *hether rum be sold, or .or t*oyears As in the past t*o years, this to*n be dry Mattersbut little< 4h yes, revenue or side*al!s, se*ers> that is*ell enough? % *ish to -od this 2ght *ere no*inspired By other passion than to salve the pride 4. ohnCabanis or his daughter& )hy Can never contests o.

great moment spring rom *orthy things, not little; Still,i. men Must al*ays act so, and i. rum must be $hesymbol and the medium to release rom li.e0s denial and.rom slavery, $hen give merum?5 E/ultant cries arose& $hen,as -eorge $rimble had o0ercome his .ear And vacillationand begun to spea!, $he door crea!ed and the idiot,)illie Metcal., Breathless and hatless, *hiter than a

sheet, Entered and cried: 5$he marshal0s on his *ay $oarrest you all& And i. you only !ne* )ho0s coming here to<morro*> % *as listening Beneath the *indo* *here theother side Are ma!ing plans&5 Soto a smaller room $o hear the idiot0s secret some*ithdre* Selected by the Chair> the Chair himsel. And



e1erson Ho*ard, Ben+amin "antier, And )endell Bloyd,-eorge $rimble, Adam )eirauch, %manuel Ehrenhardt,Seth Compton, -od*in ames And Enoch (unlap, HiramScates, Roy Butler, Carl Hamblin, Roger Heston, Ernest

Hyde And "enni*it, the artist, 3insey 3eene, And E& C&Culbertson and ran!lin ones, Ben+amin raser, son o.Ben+amin "antier By (aisy raser, some o. lessernote, And secretly con.erred& Butin the hall (isorder reigned and *hen the marshalcame And .ound it so, he marched the hoodlumsout And loc!ed themup& Mean*hile *ithin a room Bac!

in the basement o. the church, *ith Blood Counseled the*isest heads& udge Somers 2rst, (eep learned in li.e,and ne/t him, Elliott Ha*!ins And Lambert Hutchins>ne/t him $homas Rhodes And Editor )hedon> ne/t him-arrison Standard, A traitor to the liberals, *ho *ithlip 8pcurled in scorn and *ith a bitter sneer: 5Such stri.eabout an insult to a *oman< A girl o. eighteen 5<Christian (allman too, And others unrecorded& Some

there *ere )ho .ro*ned not on the cup but loathed therule (emocracy achieved thereby, the .reedom And lusto. li.e it symboli#ed&

'o* morn *ith sno*y 2ngers up the s!y lung li!e anorange at a .estival $he ruddy sun, *hen .rom theirhasty beds "oured .orth the hostile .orces, and thestreets Resounded to the rattle o. the *heels $hat drovethis *ay and that to gather in $he tardy voters, and thecries o. chie.tains )ho manned the battle& But at teno0cloc! $he liberals bello*ed .raud, and at the polls $herival candidates gro*led and came to blo*s& $henproved the idiot0s tale o. yester=eve A *ord o. *arning&Suddenly on the streets )al!ed hog=eyed Allen, terror o.



the hills $hat loo!ed on Bernadotte ten milesremoved& 'o man o. this degenerate day could li.t $heboulders *hich he thre*, and *hen he spo!e $he*indo*s rattled, and beneath his bro*s $hatched li!e a

shed *ith bristling hair o. blac!, His small eyes glistenedli!e a maddened boar& And as he *al!ed the boardscrea!ed, as he *al!ed A song o. menace rumbled& $hushe came, $he champion o. A& (& Blood, commissioned $oterri.y the liberals& Many 7ed As *hen a ha*! soars o0erthe chic!en yard& He passed the polls and *ith a play.ulhand $ouched Bro*n, the giant, and he .ell against, Asthough he *ere a child, the *all> so strong )as hog=eyed

Allen& But the liberals smiled& or soon as hog=eyed Allenreached the *al!, Close on his steps paced Bengal Mi!e,brought in By 3insey 3eene, the subtle=*itted one, $omatch the hog=eyed Allen& He *as scarce $hree=.ourthsthe other0s bul!, but steel his arms, And *ith a tiger0sheart& $*o men he !illed And many *ounded in the daysbe.ore, And no one .eared& But*hen the hog=eyed one Sa* Bengal Mi!e his

countenance gre* dar!, $he bristles o0er his red eyest*itched *ith rage, $he song he rumbled lo*ered& Roundand round $he court=house paced he, .ollo*edstealthily By Bengal Mi!e, *ho +eered him everystep: 5Come, elephant, and 2ght? Come, hog=eyedco*ard? Come, .ace about and 2ght me, lumberingsnea!? Come, bee.y bully, hit me, i. you can? $a!e outyour gun, you du1er, give me reason $o dra* and !ill

you& $a!e your billy out& %0ll crac! your boar0s head *ith apiece o. bric!?5 But never a *ord the hog=eyed onereturned But trod about the court=house, .ollo*edboth By troops o. boys and *atched by all the men& Allday, they *al!ed the suare& But *hen Apollo Stood *ithreluctant loo! above the hills As .ain to see the end, and



all the votes )ere cast, and closed the polls, be.ore thedoor 4. $rainor0s drug store Bengal Mi!e, in tones $hatechoed through the village, ba*led the taunt: 5)ho *asyour mother, hog<eyed;5 %n a trice As *hen a *ild boar

turns upon the hound $hat through the bra!es upon anAugust day Has gashed him *ith its teeth, the hog<one Rushed *ith his giant arms on Bengal Mi!e Andgrabbed him by the throat& $hen rose to heaven $he.rightened cries o. boys, and yells o. men orth rushingto the street& And Bengal Mi!e Moved this *ay and no*that, dre* in his head As i. his nec! to shorten, and bentdo*n $o brea! the death grip o. the hog=eyed one> 0$*i/t

guttural *rath and .ast=e/piring strength Stri!ing his 2stsagainst the invulnerable chest 4. hog=eyed Allen& $hen,*hen some came in $o part them, others stayed them,and the 2ght Spread among do#ens> many valiantsouls )ent do*n .rom clubs andbric!s& But tell me, Muse, )hatgod or goddess rescued Bengal Mi!e; )ith one last,mighty struggle did he grasp $he murderous hands and

turning !ic! his .oe& $hen, as i. struc! by lightning,vanished all $he strength .rom hog<eyed Allen, at hisside San! limp those giant arms and o0er his .ace (readpallor and the s*eat o. anguish spread& And those great!nees, invincible but late, Shoo! to his *eight& Anduic!ly as the lion Leaps on its *ounded prey, did BengalMi!e Smite *ith a roc! the temple o. his .oe, And do*nhe san! and dar!ness o0er his eyes "assed li!e a

cloud& As *hen the *oodman.ells Some giant oa! upon a summer0s day And all thesongsters o. the .orest shrill, And one great ha*! thathas his nestling young Amid the topmost branchescroa!s, as crash $he lea.y branches through the tangledboughs 4. brother oa!s, so .ell the hog<eyed one Amid



the lamentations o. the .riends 4. A& (&Blood& ust then, .our lustymen Bore the to*n marshal, on *hose iron .ace $hepurple pall o. death already lay, $o $rainor0s drug store,

shot by ac! Mc-uire& And cries *ent up o. 5Lynch him?5and the sound 4. running .eet .rom every side *asheard Bent on the

THE END

$he late Mr& onathan S*i.t Somers, laureate o. Spoon

River planned $he Spooniad as an epic in t*enty=.ourboo!s, but un.ortunately did not live to complete eventhe 2rst boo!& $he .ragment *as .ound among his papersby )illiam Marion Reedy and *as .or the 2rst timepublished in Reedy0s Mirror o. (ecember GIth, GGJ&

End o. "ro+ect -utenberg0s Spoon River Anthology, byEdgar Lee Masters

poetic text

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