A Happy Man Edwin Arlington Robinson Analysis
Edwin Arlington Robinson has wrote many plays and short stories in his life. He wrote a famous poem, “A Happy Man”. The poem is written as realism. Themes seen through this poem are: life is too short, enjoy things while you can, never take anything for granted, and be happy with what you have. It is possible to conclude that the poem is written in first person, due to the use of ‘I’. Edwin describes a man’s life. The poem begins with:
When these graven lines you see,
Traveller, do not pity me;
Though I be among the dead,
Let no mournful word be said.
He says for people not to pity him because he is among everyone else. He does not show much emotions. The people around him may be dead, unhappy, and boring but, he remains happy and …show more content…
A. Robinson is talking in past tense. It can be determined that his children that are left behind have grown up. He says they “Were all kind… and to my wife” (Robinson). They were nice, admirable children. They took good care of them and they were raised to be well respected adults. The characters are seen here to be more important than the plot. Next he states that he was happy all of his life. Readers might question, is he still happy? He is in control of his own destiny.
The next stanza reads:
My three sons I married right,
And their sons I rocked at night;
Death nor sorrow never brought
Cause for one unhappy thought. The man and his wife had three boys. Once they all grew up, they got married and had children. He would take care of his grandchildren, “And their sons I rocked at night” (Robinson). The man at this point may be ill or just getting old when he says “Death” (Robinson). He proclaims that death never made him sad. Going along with realism, his emotions are still not more important than the plot. The characters are more important than what is being said and done. He was simply living life to the fullest, enjoying everything possible.
The last stanza discloses:
Now, and with no need of tears,
Here they leave me, full of years,--
Leave me to my quiet rest
In the region of the
When these graven lines you see,
Traveller, do not pity me;
Though I be among the dead,
Let no mournful word be said.
He says for people not to pity him because he is among everyone else. He does not show much emotions. The people around him may be dead, unhappy, and boring but, he remains happy and …show more content…
A. Robinson is talking in past tense. It can be determined that his children that are left behind have grown up. He says they “Were all kind… and to my wife” (Robinson). They were nice, admirable children. They took good care of them and they were raised to be well respected adults. The characters are seen here to be more important than the plot. Next he states that he was happy all of his life. Readers might question, is he still happy? He is in control of his own destiny.
The next stanza reads:
My three sons I married right,
And their sons I rocked at night;
Death nor sorrow never brought
Cause for one unhappy thought. The man and his wife had three boys. Once they all grew up, they got married and had children. He would take care of his grandchildren, “And their sons I rocked at night” (Robinson). The man at this point may be ill or just getting old when he says “Death” (Robinson). He proclaims that death never made him sad. Going along with realism, his emotions are still not more important than the plot. The characters are more important than what is being said and done. He was simply living life to the fullest, enjoying everything possible.
The last stanza discloses:
Now, and with no need of tears,
Here they leave me, full of years,--
Leave me to my quiet rest
In the region of the