Occupation Poet Name Lizette Reese | Role Poet | |
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Born January 9, 1856
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. ( 1856-01-09 ) Died December 17, 1935, Balti, Maryland, United States Books Spicewood, A Branch Of May, A Quiet Road, Little Henriett, Selected Poems | ||
Oh gray and tender is the rain lizette woodworth reese audiobook short poetry
Lizette Woodworth Reese (January 9, 1856 – December 17, 1935) was an American poet.
Contents
- Oh gray and tender is the rain lizette woodworth reese audiobook short poetry
- August by Lizette Woodworth Reese
- Early years and education
- Career
- Personal life
- References
Reese was born in Maryland and was a teacher in the schools of Baltimore. She developed, even in her childhood, a strong and vigorous lyric faculty. As an adult, her creations received cordial commendation by critics in Europe and the United States. In her use of the sonnet, Reese displayed a noteworthy skill and facility of execution. Her sonnet entitled "Tears" was deserving of unqualified praise, revealing a pure Miltonic note, above all in the preluding lines. This form of verse afforded a rich and stimulating field for the culture and expansion of Reese's rhythmic and metric capabilities. Among her published works, the strongest and most appealing include: "A Branch of May"; "A Handful of Lavender"; "A Quiet Road"; "The Cry of the Old House"; "Anne"; "Keats"; "The Daffodils"; "Trust"; "In Time of Grief"; "An English Missal"; and "A Celtic Maying Story". An biography of Reese, as well as a disriminating estimate of her poetic achievements, may be found in the Library of Southern Literature, by Letitia Humphreys Yonge Wrenshall of Baltimore. Reese was successful in prose as well as in poetry, but her highest art illustrates its power in the lyric sphere.
"August," by Lizette Woodworth Reese
Early years and education
Lizette Woodworth Reese was born in the Waverly section of Baltimore, Maryland, to Louisa Gabler and David Reese. She had a twin sister named Sophia. Educated in Baltimore's public schools, Reese graduated from Eastern High School (Baltimore), where a memorial for her stands today.
Career
After graduation, she became a school teacher at St. John's Parish School in 1873. The following year, Reese published her first poem, "The Deserted House," in Southern Magazine. She continued to publish in various magazines until her first self-published anthology, A Branch of May, in 1887. Subsequent books followed in 1891 and 1896, A Handful of Lavender and A Quiet Road, respectively. During the late 1890s and early 1900s, Reese wrote infrequently. However, her sonnet "Tears," published in Scribner's Magazine in 1899, garnered her praise and recognition, particularly from fellow Baltimore writer H. L. Mencken, who stated that Reese's work was “one of the imperishable glories of American literature." In 1918, Reese retired from teaching after having worked her last few years at Western High School (Baltimore).
In 1931, Reese was named poet laureate of Maryland by the General Federation of Women's Clubs. She was also honorary president of the Poetry Society of Maryland and co-founder of the Women's Literary Club of Baltimore.
Personal life
Reese died on December 17, 1935. She is buried at the St. John's Episcopal Church. After her death, one of Reese's friends, sculptor Grace Turnbull, was commissioned to create a monument to her work. The marble statue, entitled "The Good Shepherd," stands on the old grounds of Eastern High School, Reese's alma mater, in Waverly.