Cooney Potter inherited acreage from his father.

His family helped him work the acres of land

from dawn to dusk. In his toil he acquired an additional 1000 acres. Cooney mentions no

emotional satisfaction or gain from the acres his father left him only the desire to acquire more.

Cooney continuously worked himself to death and his days past by with the incessant smoking

cigars, eating Pie and gulping coffee.

The 40 acres he inherited from his father drove him to a tired state where he found himself

reflective at the age of 60 years.

I chose Cooney Potter pg. 60 in Spoon River Anthology.

Cooney Potter seems to be a man who had the dreams of his father. A man who wanted more

than what his father left him and a man who thought in his mind that he would be able to handle a

2000 acre parcel. In the end he received more yet had less as his life has passed him by.

This man finally realized his life (time) was taken away from him and his family’s life was taken as

he worked hard to continue harvesting what his father gave him.

The poem made me admire the truth and greatness of family value- the value which inspired this

man to work so hard.

Truly Cooney Potter was a man of strength who devoted his life to achieve and to give his family

what he believed was correct. In his twilight years he realized that his toil and the desire for more

land did not fulfill him or provide him or his family with what they needed the most- time.