Edwin Arlington Robinson was a popular and wide-ranging American poet, born on December 22, 1869 in Head Tide Historic District, Maine. The youngest of three children, Robinson and his family had a long history in the area, yet despite his family&#8217;s wealth and social status, Robinson struggled with poverty and depression throughout his life.
Robinson began writing poetry at a young age, and his first published poem appeared in the New York Independent when he was just 19 years old. He published his first collection of poetry, The Children of the Night, in 1897, which features the oft-anthologized poem, &#8220;Richard Cory,&#8221; and it received robust critical acclaim. However, it was not until the publication of his third volume of verse, The Town Down the River, in 1910, that he gained widespread recognition. This collection, which contained some of his best-known poems, including &#8220;Miniver Cheevy,&#8221; helped to establish Robinson as a major American poet.
Throughout his career, Robinson was known for his bleak, tragic view of life and his exploration of themes such as loneliness, isolation, and despair. His poetry often depicted characters who were outcasts or misfits, and he was praised for his ability to convey the emotional depth of his subjects. In addition to his gathering up and inclusion of characters from all walks of American life, Robinson was interested in literary history and culture, and wrote poems, about Shakespeare, Merlin, Walt Whitman, and many other figures, real and legendary, from our literary past.
Despite his success as a poet, Robinson struggled with financial insecurity and depression. He received a number of awards and honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, but he remained deeply unhappy and struggled with alcoholism. He died on April 6, 1935 at the age of 65.
Robinson&#8217;s poetry has had a lasting impact on American literature, and he is considered one of the foremost poets of his time. His work continues to be studied and admired by readers and scholars around the world.