Louis Untermeyer

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Louis Untermeyer

Louis Untermeyer (born October 1, 1885 in New York City , † December 18, 1977 ) was an American poet who published many important anthologies at the time .

Life

After only a short apprenticeship without a degree, Untermeyer first joined his father's company, where he worked until 1923, most recently as Vice President. Then he devoted himself to his writing career. He was married to the writer Jean Starr, with whom he had a son. After a divorce in 1926, he lived with her again and adopted two sons. Then, however, he married the poet Virginia Moore, with whom he also had a son, later Esther Antin and finally Bryna Ivens, the editor of Seventeen magazine .

His first volume of poetry, First Love , was published in 1911. In total, he published over 100 books, including his very influential anthologies of American and British poetry, but also children's books, parodies and biographies. As a translator, he brought Heinrich Heine and Gottfried Keller closer to his compatriots .

He was involved in the creation of The Seven Arts , a magazine that was an important forum for young poets, including Robert Frost . Untermeyer had a long friendship with Frost.

In 1941 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters . In 1956 the Poetry Society of America awarded him the gold medal. He was also a Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1961 to 1963.

Before the First World War , Untermeyer was also involved in the publication of the Marxist magazine The Masses . Like many of his like-minded people, he opposed America's entry into the war. His continued commitment to left positions brought him difficulties, especially in the 50s, which among other things led to his having to give up his participation in the popular game show What's My Line .

Books (selection)

Anthologies

  • Modern American Poetry (1919) (6th edition, 1942)
  • Modern British Poetry (1920) (5th edition, 1942)
  • Modern American and British Poetry (1919)

poetry

  • First Love (1911)
  • Challenge (1914)
  • Roast Leviathan (1923)
  • The New Adam (1920)

biography

Autobiography

  • From Another World (1935)
  • Bygones (1965)

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Members: Louis Untermeyer. American Academy of Arts and Letters, accessed April 30, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Untermeyer, Louis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American poet
DATE OF BIRTH October 1, 1885
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH 18th December 1977