Spoon River Anthology · Chapter
Perry Zoll explained
Perry Zoll addresses the County Scientific Association, thanking them for the memorial stone and bronze tablet.
What happens
Perry Zoll addresses the County Scientific Association, thanking them for the memorial stone and bronze tablet. He reflects on his initial rejections from the society and his eventual rise to prominence through his work on plant intelligence, noting that he no longer needs their validation but accepts the tribute for their sake.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Corruption
The County Scientific Association's delayed recognition of Zoll's work highlights institutional hypocrisy, as they only sought to honor him after his success was undeniable.
The Search for Meaning
Zoll's pursuit of knowledge about plant intelligence represents a deeper search for understanding and meaning beyond societal validation.
Characters to notice
- Perry Zoll
The speaker and subject of the chapter, a scientist whose work on plant intelligence was initially dismissed by the County Scientific Association.
Key passages
“Twice I tried to join your honored body, And was rejected, And when my little brochure On the intelligence of plants Began to attract attention You almost voted me in.”
I applied for membership twice and was turned down, but when my pamphlet on plant intelligence gained notice, you nearly accepted me.
Zoll recounts the conditional nature of the association's interest in him, tied to his growing fame.
“After that I grew beyond the need of you And your recognition.”
Eventually, I no longer required your approval or acknowledgment.
Zoll asserts his independence from the society's validation after achieving success.
“Yet I do not reject your memorial stone, Seeing that I should, in so doing, Deprive you of honor to yourselves.”
Still, I accept this monument, because refusing it would deny you the chance to honor yourselves.
Zoll accepts the tribute not for himself, but to allow the association to feel honorable.