The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Masters, Edgar Lee

MASTERS, Edgar Lee, American lawyer and writer: b. Garnett, Kan., 23 Aug. 1868. He studied at Knox College, Illinois, and was admitted to the bar in 1891. His publications include &lsquo;A Book of Verses&rsquo; (1898); &lsquo;Maximilian,&rsquo; a drama in blank verse (1902); &lsquo;The New Star Chamber and Other Essays&rsquo; (1904); &lsquo;Blood of the Prophets&rsquo; (1905); &lsquo;Althea,&rsquo; a play (1907); &lsquo;The Trifler,&rsquo; a play (1908); &lsquo;The Spoon River Anthology&rsquo; (1915); &lsquo;The Great Valley&rsquo; (1916). Mr. Masters writes his poems both in vers libre and in rhymed verse. His &lsquo;Spoon River Anthology&rsquo; is the best known of his works. It is a unique collection of truthful epitaphs on the inhabitants of a middle Western village. It is marked by a biting vigorous satirical style, and is pervaded by a materialism

that shocks and surprises. Despite its obvious limitations, its naive force has won many readers and much favorable comment. Consult Lowell, Amy, &lsquo;Tendencies in Modern American Poetry&rsquo; (New York 1917).