Spoon River Anthology

The Spoon River Anthology is a collection of poems by Edgar Lee Masters about a fictional place called Spoon River, Illinois, which is near the actual Spoon River in Illinois (Masters...1916). I did not read the whole collection, but what I did read showed strong Naturalism and Regionalism traits. I read number 226: "Archibald Higbie". This poem is about how this Archibald Higbie wants to learn the finer arts that are associated with the masters of Greece and Rome, but whenever he tries to create something like theirs it only shows his backwoods upbringing. He is really depressed about this, and curses the fact that he is from such a place.

Regionalism is shown the most here. This anthology is all about Spoon River, that, while made up, is based on a real place. The common denominator of all the nearly 250 poems is that all the people in them come from Spoon River. Though they could be very different, they all share that basic trait. The scenery is not described in this particular poem, but I am sure that it is in one of the poems somewhere down the line. In this poem, the Spoon River area is responsible for the artists' inability to learn the style of the great masters. The region takes on an almost human feel because Archibald Higbie blames all his problems on the fact that he comes from that area. "I loathed you, Spoon River. I tried to rise above you, I was ashamed of you. I despised you as the place of my nativity." (Masters 226). Here, he makes it sound like Spoon River has a will of its own. This personification of the region is a common theme in Regionalism.

I liked this poem because I could sympathize with the character. We are both from small towns, and I, like Archibald Higbie, often feel stifled by the stigma of coming from such a small town. I have been to the real life Spoon River, and it is a very rural area. If I was from such a place, I would probably feel the same as Archibald Higbie. Like Higbie, I would try everything to rise above my upbinging. In many ways, I am doing that to some extent now. Unlike me, however, Higbie seems to view his situation as unchangeable, like things were destined to be the way there are. This viewpoint is a characteristic of Naturalism. Higbie himself is also a component of Naturalism. He is an ordinary, middle-class artist. He struggles to rise out of a depressing situation. He has an unassuming background and a bleak looking future. All of these characteristics add up to make him an ideal Naturalism hero. Archibald's emotions are also what makes this a Naturalism poem. As I read, I could practically feel Archibald's frustration jumping out at me. "And what could I do, all covered over and weighted down with western soil, except aspire, and pray for another birth in the world, with all of Spoon River rooted out of my soul?" (Masters 226). This desperation is also a common theme in Naturalism works.

"Masters, Edgar Lee. 1916. Spoon River Anthology." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.bartleby.com/84/.

Masters, Edgar Lee. "226. Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters. Archibald Higbie. Monroe, Harriet, Ed. 1917. The New Poetry: An Anthology." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. http://www.bartleby.com/265/226.html.