Classic and Contemporary Poetry
ARCHIBALD'S EXAMPLE, by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Old archibald, in his eternal chair Last Line: That he remembered when the trees were there. | ||||||||
OLD ARCHIBALD, in his eternal chair, Where trespassers, whatever their degree, Were soon frowned out again, was looking off Across the clover when he said to me: "My green hill yonder, where the sun goes down Without a scratch, was once inhabited By trees that injured him--an evil trash That made a cage, and held him while he bled. "Gone fifty years, I see them as they were Before they fell. They were a crooked lot To spoil my sunset, and I saw no time In fifty years for crooked things to rot. "Trees, yes; but not a service or a joy To God or man, for they were thieves of light. So down they came. Nature and I looked on, And we were glad when they were out of sight. "Trees are like men, sometimes; and that being so, So much for that." He twinkled in his chair, And looked across the clover to the place That he remembered when the trees were there. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AN EVANGELIST'S WIFE by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON AN ISLAND (SAINT HELENA, 1821) by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON ANOTHER DARK LADY by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON BALLADE OF DEAD FRIENDS by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON CAPUT MORTUUM by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON CHARLES CARVILLE'S EYES by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON CORTEGE by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON DEMOS by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON DOCTOR OF BILLIARDS by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON ERASMUS by EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON |
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