An Existentialistic Study Of Edwin Arlington Robinson's Poetry

This thesis is to analyze the Existentialistic ideas that expressed in Edwin Arlington Robinson's poems. Robinson was regarded as one of the greatest poets by some critics before 1950; however, his poems and he himself receive less attention in the present literary world. His poems should not be forgotten because they deserve our exploration. In this thesis, an existentialistic study will be made to reveal the Existentialistic ideas shown in Robinson's poems.The thesis begins with an introduction to Robinson's life and his poetry. At the beginning he led a miserable life. Life was not easy for himself as well as for his family members and his neighbors. His poetry career also began in poverty and obscurity. His unfortunate life experience made the themes of his poems tragic and pessimistic. He had created a lot of poems in his life. At the last period of his life he gained his fame and won the Pulitzer Prize for three times.In the second chapter the literature reviews abroad and at home are made. After 1950s, the literary critics abroad have paid little attention to Robinson and his poems. In China, Robinson has been even less interested in. This is unfair for him because his poems deserve more attention and exploration.In the third chapter, the theoretical rationale is introduced. Existentialism is a pessimistic theory. A lot of Existentialists hold that the world is absurd and life is tragic. Human beings have to experience the mental states such as anguish, fear, forlornness and despair, which are regarded as the authenticity of human beings.The fourth chapter explores the Existentialistic ideas in Robinson's poems. A few poems are taken as examples in this thesis, such as, Richard Cory, Miniver Cheevy, Eros Turannos, The Mill, Aunt Imogen, The Woman and the Wife, Aaron Stark, Mr. Flood's Party, Reuben Bright, The Growth of Lorraine, The Two Gardens of Linndale, and The pilot. The themes of these poems are tragic, and respond the Existentialistic ideas.Chapter five is the conclusion of the thesis. This chapter summarizes the five chapters above as a whole. It is concluded that Robinson's poems can be interpreted from the Existentialistic prospective.