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The Man against the Sky: A Book of Poems
Poems of this book are cited by critics as some of Robinson's best. Three Pulitzer Prizes for poetry were awarded to E.A. Robinson.
- GenresPoetry
58 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 20, 2004
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About the author
Edwin Arlington Robinson
134 books48 followersWorks of American poet Edwin Arlington Arlington include long narratives and character studies of New Englanders, including "Miniver Cheevy" (1907).
Edwin Arlington Robinson won three Pulitzer Prizes for his work. His family moved to Gardiner, Maine, in 1870. He described his childhood as "stark and unhappy."
Early difficulties of Robinson led to a dark pessimism, and his stories dealt with "an American dream gone awry."
In 1896, he self-published his first book, "The Torrent and the Night Before", paying 100 dollars for 500 copies. His second volume, "The Children of the Night", had a somewhat wider circulation.
Edwin Arlington Robinson won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1922 for his first "Collected Poems," in 1925 for "The Man Who Died Twice," and in 1928 for "Tristram."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Ar...
Edwin Arlington Robinson won three Pulitzer Prizes for his work. His family moved to Gardiner, Maine, in 1870. He described his childhood as "stark and unhappy."
Early difficulties of Robinson led to a dark pessimism, and his stories dealt with "an American dream gone awry."
In 1896, he self-published his first book, "The Torrent and the Night Before", paying 100 dollars for 500 copies. His second volume, "The Children of the Night", had a somewhat wider circulation.
Edwin Arlington Robinson won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1922 for his first "Collected Poems," in 1925 for "The Man Who Died Twice," and in 1928 for "Tristram."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Ar...
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 11, 2018
I actually read the original version in hardback (1916) from the public library--
Love his subterfuge language
protecting his gayness.
An excerpt of:
"Isaac And Archibald"
...The present and the future and the past,
Isaac and Archibald, the burning bush,
The Trojans and the walls of Jericho,
Were beautifully fused; and all went well
Till Archibald began to fret for Isaac...
...They marched away together towards the house
And left me to my childish ruminations
Upon the ways of men. I followed them
Down cellar with my fancy, and then left them
For a fairer vision of all things at once
That was anon to be destroyed again...
...The old men smoked while I sat watching them
And wondered with all comfort what might come
To me, and what might never come to me; ...
...No matter where it was that I was looking:
The flame beyond the boundary, the music,
The foam and the white ships, and two old men
Were things that would not leave me.—And that night
There came to me a dream—a shining one,
With two old angels in it. They had wings,
And they were sitting where a silver light
Suffused them, face to face. The wings of one
Began to palpitate as I approached,
But I was yet unseen when a dry voice
Cried thinly, with unpatronizing triumph,
“I’ve got you, Isaac; high, low, jack, and the game."
Love his subterfuge language
protecting his gayness.
An excerpt of:
"Isaac And Archibald"
...The present and the future and the past,
Isaac and Archibald, the burning bush,
The Trojans and the walls of Jericho,
Were beautifully fused; and all went well
Till Archibald began to fret for Isaac...
...They marched away together towards the house
And left me to my childish ruminations
Upon the ways of men. I followed them
Down cellar with my fancy, and then left them
For a fairer vision of all things at once
That was anon to be destroyed again...
...The old men smoked while I sat watching them
And wondered with all comfort what might come
To me, and what might never come to me; ...
...No matter where it was that I was looking:
The flame beyond the boundary, the music,
The foam and the white ships, and two old men
Were things that would not leave me.—And that night
There came to me a dream—a shining one,
With two old angels in it. They had wings,
And they were sitting where a silver light
Suffused them, face to face. The wings of one
Began to palpitate as I approached,
But I was yet unseen when a dry voice
Cried thinly, with unpatronizing triumph,
“I’ve got you, Isaac; high, low, jack, and the game."
July 20, 2019
People find or lack meaning in ways that challenge our ideas of success and failure.
Read
May 24, 2011Prosodically sound. Poetically uneven. Reasonably diverting.
July 12, 2022
I tend to like the portraits. The rest will take time to digest with my inadequate mind.
September 1, 2024
Great book, I listened to the audiobook version on YouTube. I will leave the link below so that everyone can enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCXJY...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews