Edgar Lee Masters

Page 8512007 COS – 1a

2010 COS – RL.11-12.1; RL.11-12.9; RL.11-12.10; W.11-12.1; W.11-12.4; W.11-12.5; W.11-12.10; SL.11-12.1; L.11-12.1; L.11-12.2; L.11-12.4; L.11-12.6

AHSGE – R.I.1; R.II.2

Edgar Lee Masters

Masters chose to write his epitaphs in free verse.

Spoon River Anthology is a collection of almost 250 epitaphs spoken by the ordinary inhabitants of a cemetery in the fictional town of Spoon River.

Literary Term

Epitaph – a brief statement that sums up an individual’s life.

“Richard Bone” (p. 852)

1. What was Richard Bone’s job in life?

2. Why did he write what he was told when he first came to town?

3. After he knew the truth, what did he write on the tombstones?

“ ‘Butch’ Weldy” (p. 853)

1. Who is villain of Spoon River Anthology?

2. Who was Jack the Fiddler?

3. Why does the plant owner really not have to pay Weldy for his injuries?

“Mrs. George Reese” (p. 854)

1. What advice does Mrs. Reese give the reader?

2. How did Mrs. Reese respond to the hardship in her life?

Activity

On page 851 you will find the following focus question: As you read these poems, think about the American dream and

what it meant for earlier Americans. Ask yourself: What do the people of Spoon River, speaking from the second decade of the twentieth century, reveal about the possibility of heroism – even individual integrity – in their own time?

In a paragraph or two, answer the focus question. Be sure to support your answer with specific references to the poems.

P. 854 Questions 1-7