1. The Natural World: Jeffers grew up in the rugged wilderness of California, surrounded by the untamed beauty of the coast and the mountains. This early exposure to the natural world had a profound impact on him and inspired him to write poems that celebrated the grandeur and power of nature.
2. Classical Literature: Jeffers was deeply influenced by the works of classical Greek and Latin literature, particularly the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. He admired their exploration of profound human emotions and moral conflicts, which influenced the themes and style of his own poetry.
3. Philosophy: Jeffers studied philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was introduced to various philosophical ideas that influenced his poetry. Stoic philosophy, in particular, left a lasting impact on his work, as it emphasized emotional detachment, self-control, and the acceptance of fate.
4. Personal Struggles: Jeffers experienced personal struggles and tragedies throughout his life, including the loss of his father at a young age and the death of his wife and two sons in separate accidents. These events profoundly shaped his poetry, infusing it with a sense of isolation, grief, and a deep contemplation of the human condition.
5. Social and Political Views: Jeffers was deeply critical of modern civilization, materialism, and the destructive tendencies of humanity. He expressed these views in his poems, often using themes of human insignificance in the grand scheme of the natural world. His poetry reflected his disillusionment with human progress and his belief in a cyclical pattern of rise and fall in civilizations.
6. Literary Movement: Jeffers is often associated with the literary movement known as "New Poetry" or "Imagism," which emphasized direct, unadorned language, concrete imagery, and a focus on the natural world. He shared some similarities with other poets of this movement, such as Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot, in their rejection of traditional poetic forms and their pursuit of a more modernist style of writing.
Overall, Robinson Jeffers' poetry was shaped by a combination of his personal experiences, his deep appreciation for the natural world, his interest in classical literature and philosophy, and his critical views on society. These influences came together to create a unique and powerful body of work that continues to resonate with readers today.