Once in a while a curious weed unknown to me,
Needing a name from my books;
Once in a while a letter from Yeomans.
Out of the mussel-shells gathered along the shore
Sometimes a pearl with a glint like meadow rue:
Then betimes a letter from Tyndall in England,
Stamped with the stamp of Spoon River.
I, lover of Nature, beloved for my love of her,
Held such converse afar with the great
Who knew her better than I.
Oh, there is neither lesser nor greater,
Save as we make her greater and win from her keener delight.
With shells from the river cover me, cover me.
I lived in wonder, worshipping earth and heaven.
I have passed on the march eternal of endless life.
E. L. Masters, William Jones, in Spoon River Anthology, 1915
In figure: p. 211, Spoon River Anthology, 1st ed., 2nd reprint (May 1915), published by Macmillan Co., via the Internet Archive, digitised by The Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection.