Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters

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What does the Henry C. Calhoun poem mean in "Spoon River Anthology?"

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Henry expresses bitterness in this poem, directed at his father, Granville. Henry is haunted by the "face of [his] father" (3), and he mentions the "admonitions" or warnings from his father to "punish Spoon River / To avenge the wrong the people did" to Granville (7-9). In following Granville's advice, Henry did become wealthy and powerful, but at what cost? He blames his father for sending him down the "path that leads to the grove of the Furies" (13), which is an allusion to the avenging spirits of Greek mythology. Here, he advises others to cut that "thread of revenge" (18), so the readers' sons and children do not bear the necessity to seek revenge like Henry felt from his own father. This poem is a cautionary tale--do not...

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