Edgar Lee Masters

Edgar Lee Masters was an American poet, biographer, and dramatist. He is best known for his collection of poems 'Spoon River Anthology', which was published in 1915. The anthology, a series of free verse poems, is a collection of epitaphs of the deceased residents of the fictional small town of Spoon River, based on the real towns where Masters grew up. The work captures the disillusionment with small-town life and reveals the hidden secrets of the characters who once lived there. Masters' work is noted for its realism and the depth of its individual portraits.

Books

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. Spoon River Anthology

    "Spoon River Anthology" is a collection of short free-form poems that tell the epitaphs of the residents of a fictional small town, Spoon River, which is modeled after the small towns of the author's youth. The poems reveal the honest, often harsh realities of life, as each deceased citizen tells their own tale of love, despair, success, failure, and the human condition. The book is a commentary on the hypocrisy, moral corruption, and societal constraints of early 20th century rural America.