Bewick Finzer by Edwin Arlington Robinson
“Bewick Finzer” portrays a man ruined by the loss of his half million and the income it once provided. His wealth had sustained him, but discontent over what he lacked gnawed at him, and its disappearance damaged his mind. Time transforms him so thoroughly that those who knew him can scarcely recognize him: he is broken-voiced, thin, careworn, and marked by poor cleanliness, desperate brightness, and lingering dreams of wealth. Finzer now struggles among people who know they might easily have suffered his fate. Clinging to schemes and hopes, he repeatedly comes to ask for small loans that others give and forget. His visits have become habitual and seem destined to continue, making him a familiar, helpless reminder of misfortune and regret.
By Edwin Arlington Robinson · First published 1897 · Genre: Poetry, Narrative Poetry, Character Study · 223 words
First lines
TIME was when his half million drew
The breath of six per cent; / But soon the worm of what-was-not
Fed hard on his content; / And something crumbled in his brain
When his half million went.
What this Textopian page supports
Bewick Finzer is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson, dated 1897 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Edwin Arlington Robinson
- Date: 1897 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Narrative Poetry, Character Study, Social Realism, Psychological Poetry
- Length: 223 words
- Structure: 1 section, 21 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for Bewick Finzer by Edwin Arlington Robinson
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is a concise, structured lyric poem employing verse, rhyme, compressed imagery, and a reflective speaker.
- Narrative Poetry — It recounts Bewick Finzer's financial decline, mental collapse, and repeated requests for loans through a clear sequence of events.
- Character Study — The poem concentrates on Finzer's altered appearance, behavior, dreams of lost wealth, and the social meaning of his decline.
- Social Realism — Its unsentimental depiction of indigence, debt, economic loss, and others' uneasy responses grounds the poem in recognizable social realities.
Tags
poetry · narrative poem · dramatic monologue · psychological portrait · death · mortality · isolation · regret · guilt · wealth · business · social criticism