Title: Dislocation, Alienation, and Transcendence: “Despairing Courage” in E. A. Robinson’s Poetry

Abstract: E. A. Robinson was an important poet of American Naturalism. His work not only expresses the despair of Naturalist thought but also conveys a spiritual strength that transcends despair. Through close readings of his representative poems, this article reexamines Robinson’s seemingly contradictory worldview, arguing that his poetry is structured around a thematic trajectory of “dislocation, alienation, and transcendence.” Caught between reality and ideal, self and society, his characters gradually descend into alienation, yet ultimately achieve a form of spiritual transcendence through their direct confrontation with suffering. This thematic progression culminates in Robinson’s concept of “despairing courage,” which not only constitutes the spiritual core of his poetics but also moves beyond the fatalism of Naturalism, reflecting his profound exploration of the individual’s existential predicament. From the perspective of American literary history, Robinson’s “despairing courage” bridges Naturalism and Modernism, serving as a crucial intellectual link in the transition from the former to the latter.

Keywords: E. A. Robinson, alienation, the American Naturalism, heroic writing

Author: Juan Wang, Ph.D. Candidate, Foreign Studies College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.

DOI: 10.19967/j.cnki.flc.2026.02.012