JOINT RESOLUTION HONORING EDWIN ARLINGTON ROBINSON

WHEREAS,  Edwin Arlington Robinson was born in the village of Head Tide on December 22, 1869 and spent the first 28 years of his life in Gardiner, Maine, which he immortalized in his "Tilbury Town" poems; and

WHEREAS,  Edwin Arlington Robinson is recognized as one of the greatest writers in the English language in the first half of the 20th century; and

WHEREAS,  Edwin Arlington Robinson was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1922 for his "Collected Poems," in 1925 for "The Man Who Died Twice" and in 1928 for "Tristram"; and

WHEREAS,  Edwin Arlington Robinson was awarded the degree of Doctor of Literature from Bowdoin College in 1925; and

WHEREAS,  Colby College maintains the world's largest collection of the manuscripts of Edwin Arlington Robinson in its library's Special Collections department; and

WHEREAS,  the Gardiner Library Association in 2006 created an Internet website entitled "A Virtual Tour of Robinson's Gardiner; Maine"; and

WHEREAS,  the United States Department of the Interior, National Part Service has named the Robinson family residence at 67 Lincoln Avenue, Gardiner, Maine a National Historic Landmark in recognition of the literary accomplishments of Edwin Arlington Robinson; and

WHEREAS,  Edwin Arlington Robinson's significant contribution to American letters has been recently confirmed by the publication of 3 major books about his life and work: "An Edwin Arlington Robinson Encyclopedia"; "Poems of Edwin Arlington Robinson"; and "Edwin Arlington Robinson: A Poet's Life"; and

WHEREAS,  the Patten Free Library in Bath; the Kennebec Historical Society in Augusta; Colby College in Waterville; and the Gardiner Library Association in Gardiner are hosting throughout the first week of April 2007 celebrations in the form of lectures, symposia, walking tours and receptions in honor of the new biography of Edwin Arlington Robinson; now, therefore, be it

That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Twenty-third Legislature, now assembled in the First Regular Session, on behalf of the people we represent, take this opportunity to honor this fine Maine poet and declare the first week of April 2007 Edwin Arlington Robinson Week in Maine; and be it further

That suitable copies of this resolution, duly authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to the Gardiner Library Association, the Patten Free Library in Bath, the Kennebec Historical Society in Augusta and Colby College in Waterville as a token of our esteem.