Edgar Lee Masters’ “Robert Southey Burke”

Edgar Lee Masters’ “Robert Southey Burke”

Robert Southey Burke has a huge axe to grind with A. D. Blood.  After having once admired Blood greatly, Burke came to hate the man and everything that reminded him of him.

Introduction and Text of “Robert Southey Burke”

In Edgar Lee Masters’ “Robert Southey Burke” from Spoon River Anthology, Mr. Burke lets off steam from his animosity toward “A. D. Blood.”   A.D. Blood had served as mayor of Spoon River and was annoyed that a couple was now using his grave as a place to fornicate.

Although Blood did not mention Burke, Blood’s personality begins to emerge as a self-righteous, pompous character as Burke unveils his travails.  At the same time, Burke reveals his own small, sniveling character as his complaints unfold. 

Robert Southey Burke

I spent my money trying to elect you Mayor,  
A. D. Blood.
I lavished my admiration upon you,  
You were to my mind the almost perfect man.  
You devoured my personality,
And the idealism of my youth,
And the strength of a high-souled fealty.
And all my hopes for the world,  
And all my beliefs in Truth,
Were smelted up in the blinding heat
Of my devotion to you,
And molded into your image.
And then when I found what you were:
That your soul was small
And your words were false   
As your blue-white porcelain teeth,  
And your cuffs of celluloid,
I hated the love I had for you,
I hated myself, I hated you
For my wasted soul, and wasted youth.
And I say to all, beware of ideals,
Beware of giving your love away
To any man alive.

Commentary on “Robert Southey Burke”

Robert Southey Burke uses his epitaph to rail against A. D. Blood. Although Burke’s  specific issues are not clear; it is clear that he came to hate a man he once greatly admired.

First Movement:  Electing a Perfect Man

I spent my money trying to elect you Mayor,  
A. D. Blood.
I lavished my admiration upon you,  
You were to my mind the almost perfect man.  

Burke begins by reporting, as he addresses Blood, that he “spent [his] money trying to get” Blood elected mayor.  Continuing, Burke claims that he “lavished [his] admiration” on Blood.   Burke then admits that he thought Blood was “the almost perfect man.”  Either Burke was naïve or Blood was a master at deception, likely a healthy portion of each.

Second Movement:  Hero Worship Gone Sour

You devoured my personality,
And the idealism of my youth,
And the strength of a high-souled fealty.
And all my hopes for the world,  
And all my beliefs in Truth,
Were smelted up in the blinding heat
Of my devotion to you,
And molded into your image.

Burke turns ugly and desperate rather quickly as he laments, “You devoured my personality, / And the idealism of my youth.”   Furthermore, Burke accuses Blood of stealing his fierce loyalty in addition to all of his “hopes for the world, / And all my beliefs in Truth.”   All of Burke’s hopes and beliefs were bound up tightly in his “devotion” to Blood.  Burke had “molded” an image of Blood that was beyond super-human.

Third Movement:  Fake, Fake, Fake

And then when I found what you were:
That your soul was small
And your words were false   
As your blue-white porcelain teeth,  
And your cuffs of celluloid,
I hated the love I had for you,

Then Burke discovered the real Blood.  Burke does not reveal how he discovered the truth about his idol, but once he did, he realizes that Blood had a small soul, that Blood’s words were as fake as his “blue-white porcelain teeth,” and his “cuffs of celluloid.”  And after making this shocking discovery, Burke “hated the love [he] had for “Blood].”

Fourth Movement:  Admiration Turned to Hatred

I hated myself, I hated you
For my wasted soul, and wasted youth.
And I say to all, beware of ideals,
Beware of giving your love away
To any man alive.

Furthermore, Burke despised himself.  And he hated Blood for wasting Burke’s soul, youth, and ideals.  Burke ends his tirade by offering what he thinks is sage advice:  “Beware of giving your love away / To any man alive.”   Poor Robert Southey Burke died a lonely, disgruntled, deluded man.