Merlin: A Poem

In Merlin, Edwin Arlington Robinson returns to Camelot as rumor hardens into dread and the kingdom begins to feel haunted by its own future. On Merlin's Rock and in Arthur's hall, Gawaine, Dagonet, Lamorak, Bedivere, and Kay trade wit, warning, and bitter truth as they confront Merlin's mysterious return from Brittany, the scandal of Lancelot and Guinevere, and the rising menace of Modred. Their talk reveals a court divided between loyalty and cynicism, while the old order frays under the weight of private sin and public ruin. At the center stands Arthur, sleepless and despairing, forced to face his failures and Merlin's grave prophecy that war and betrayal are near. Yet the poem is more than political tragedy: it is also a charged meditation on wisdom, love, and power. Merlin, changed by enchantment and marked for departure, meets the radiant Vivian in scenes of wit, tenderness, and danger, where attraction becomes a contest of wills and destiny. As Blaise watches over the transformed magician, Camelot moves toward collapse, and the possibility of the Grail glimmers faintly through the darkness. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.