Momus by Edwin Arlington Robinson
In “Momus,” the speaker addresses Momus, urging him to smooth his brow and accept a world in which King Kronos is both child and father, while all gods remain wild. The speaker dismisses worries about the fading readership of Byron, Browning, and Wordsworth, though Wordsworth is said to lumber like a raft. Poetry may still find subjects while blue stars shine; and if all other themes fail, Momus himself will remain a theme.
By Edwin Arlington Robinson · First published 1910 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Satirical Poetry, Metapoetry · 141 words
First lines
"WHERE'S the need of singing now? " -
Smooth your brow, / Momus, and be reconciled, / For King Kronos is a child -
Child and father,
Or god rather, / And all gods are wild.
What this Textopian page supports
Momus is listed on Textopian as a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson, dated 1910 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: 1910 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Satirical Poetry, Metapoetry, Philosophical Poetry, Classical-Mythological Poetry
- Length: 141 words
- Structure: 1 section, 17 paragraphs
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Momus by Edwin Arlington Robinson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a short, musical verse lyric organized in stanzas, with rhyme, compressed expression, and a speaker's reflective address to Momus.
- Satirical Poetry — It employs Momus, the classical god of mockery, to wryly question literary fashions and the reputations of poets such as Byron, Browning, and Wordsworth.
- Metapoetry — The poem directly concerns poetry, poets, readers, enduring themes, and the uncertain cultural status of verse.
- Philosophical Poetry — Its playful literary observations develop into a reflection on artistic permanence, changing taste, and the continuing need for meaningful subjects.
Tags
poetry · American literature · modernist poetry · lyric poetry · philosophical · irony · satire · melancholy · disillusionment · human nature · mortality · isolation