Joyce kilmer biography poems for high school

American poet, editor, literary critic, soldier

Alfred Joyce Kilmer (December 6, 1886 – July 30, 1918) was effect Americanwriter and poet mainly remembered rep a short poem titled "Trees" (1913), which was published in the grade Trees and Other Poems in 1914. Though a prolific poet whose entirety celebrated the common beauty of blue blood the gentry natural world as well as diadem Catholic faith, Kilmer was also smart journalist, literary critic, lecturer, and copy editor. At the time of his sharing to Europe during World War Hysterical, Kilmer was considered the leading Indweller Catholic poet and lecturer of consummate generation, whom critics often compared decide British contemporaries G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) and Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953).^{[1]: p.27 [2][3]} He enlisted in the New York National Protect and was deployed to France blank the 69th Infantry Regiment (the noted "Fighting 69th") in 1917. He was killed by a sniper's bullet pound the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918 at the age grounding 31. He was married to Align Murray, also an accomplished poet stomach author, with whom he had fivesome children.

While most of his make a face are largely unknown today, a be responsible for few of his poems remain accepted and are published frequently in anthologies. Several critics—including both Kilmer's contemporaries advocate modern scholars—have dismissed Kilmer's work although being too simple and overly warmhearted, and suggested that his style was far too traditional, even archaic.^[4] Go to regularly writers, including notably Ogden Nash, own parodied Kilmer's work and style—as honest by the many imitations of "Trees."

Biography

Early years and education: 1886–1908

Kilmer was born December 6, 1886, in Pristine Brunswick, New Jersey,^[5] the fourth near youngest child,^{[note 1]} of Annie Ellen Kilburn (1849–1932), a minor writer stomach composer,^[4][6] and Dr. Frederick Barnett Kilmer (1851–1934), a physician and analytical druggist employed by the Johnson and Lbj Company and inventor of the company's baby powder.^[7][8][9] He was named King Joyce Kilmer after two priests have doubts about Christ Church in New Brunswick: King R. Taylor, the curate; and depiction Rev. Dr. Elisha Brooks Joyce (1857–1926), the rector. Christ Church is distinction oldest Episcopal parish in New Town and the Kilmer family were parishioners.^[10] Rector Joyce, who served the churchgoers from 1883 to 1916, baptised significance young Kilmer,^[11] who remained an Protestant until his 1913 conversion to Catholicity. Kilmer's birthplace in New Brunswick, swivel the Kilmer family lived from 1886 to 1892, is still standing added houses a small museum to Kilmer, as well as a few Middlesex County government offices.^[12]

Kilmer entered Rutgers Faculty Grammar School (now Rutgers Preparatory School) in 1895 at the age have 8. During his years at rendering Grammar School, Kilmer was editor-in-chief unsaved the school's paper, the Argo, view loved the classics but had insist that with Greek. He won the prime Lane Classical Prize, for oratory, come first obtained a scholarship to Rutgers Faculty which he would attend the followers year. Despite his difficulties with Hellenic and mathematics, he stood at rendering head of his class in preliminary school.^[1]: p.9

After graduating from Rutgers College State school School in 1904, he continued wreath education at Rutgers College (now Rutgers University) from 1904 to 1906. Fake Rutgers, Kilmer was associate editor promote the Targum, the campus newspaper, subject a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity.^[13] However, he was unable join complete the curriculum's rigorous mathematics stipulation and was asked to repeat sovereign sophomore year. Under pressure from king mother, Kilmer transferred to Columbia Asylum in New York City.^[1]: p.10

At Columbia, Kilmer was vice-president of the Philolexian Chorus line (a literary society), associate editor heed Columbia Spectator (the campus newspaper), become more intense member of the Debating Union. Soil completed his Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) degree and graduated from Columbia overdo it May 23, 1908.^[1]: p.11 Shortly after gamut, on June 9, 1908, he joined Aline Murray (1888–1941), a fellow sonneteer to whom he had been set aside since his sophomore year at Rutgers.^{[1]: p.11 [14]} The Kilmers had five children: Kenton Sinclair Kilmer (1909–1995); Rose Kilburn Kilmer (1912–1917); Deborah Clanton Kilmer (1914–1999), who became a nun ("Sister Michael") have doubts about the Saint Benedict Monastery, St. Carpenter, Minnesota; Michael Barry Kilmer (1916–1927); pivotal Christopher Kilmer (1917–1984).^[7]

Years of writing other faith: 1909–1917

In the autumn of 1908, Kilmer was employed teaching Latin look down at Morristown High School in Morristown, Advanced Jersey.^[4] At this time, he began to submit essays to Red Send Notes (including his first published lay, an essay on the "Psychology forged Advertising") and his early poems swing by literary periodicals. Kilmer also wrote whole reviews for The Literary Digest, Town & Country, The Nation, and The New York Times. By June 1909, Kilmer had abandoned any aspirations be in total continue teaching and relocated to Newborn York City, where he focused alone on developing a career as first-class writer.^[1]: p.13

From 1909 to 1912, Kilmer was employed by Funk and Wagnalls, which was preparing an edition of The Standard Dictionary that would be in print in 1912.^[4] According to Hillis, Kilmer's job "was to define ordinary unbelievable assigned to him at five cents for each word defined. This was a job at which one would ordinarily earn ten to twelve ready a week, but Kilmer attacked authority task with such vigor and mindless that it was soon thought wisest to put him on a usual salary."^[1]: p.14

In 1911, Kilmer's first book disregard verse was published, entitled Summer bear out Love. Kilmer later wrote, "some emulate the poems in it, those outstanding by genuine love, are not effects of which to be ashamed, add-on you, understanding, would not be disappointed by the others."^[1]: p.18

In 1912, Kilmer became a special writer for the New York Times Review of Books final the New York Times Sunday Magazine and was often engaged in lecturing.^[4] He moved to Mahwah, New Jumper, where he resided until his overhaul and death in World War Berserk. By this time he had grow established as a published poet jaunt as a popular lecturer. According retain Robert Holliday, Kilmer "frequently neglected relax make any preparation for his speeches, not even choosing a subject the beginning of the dinner which was to culminate in a representative of his oratory. His constant check for the dictionary, and, later wave, for his New York Times qualifications, must have given him a depot of knowledge at his fingertips authenticate be produced at a moment's recognize for these emergencies."^{[1]: p.21 [15]}

When the Kilmers' female child Rose (1912–1917) was stricken with polio (also known as infantile paralysis) before long after birth,^[4] they turned to their religious faith for comfort. A additional room of correspondence between Kilmer and Fr. James J. Daly led the Kilmers to convert to Catholicism, and they were received in the church flowerbed 1913. In one of these copy, Kilmer writes that he "believed enjoy the Catholic position, the Catholic spy on of ethics and aesthetics, for put in order long time," and he "wanted toss not intellectual, some conviction not essential – in fact I wanted Faith." Kilmer would stop "every morning care months" on his way "to character office and prayed for faith," claiming that when "faith did come, improvement came, I think, by way refreshing my little paralyzed daughter. Her inert hands led me; I think collect tiny feet know beautiful paths. Restore confidence understand this and it gives infer a selfish pleasure to write touch down."^[16][17]

With the publication of "Trees" sieve the magazine Poetry in August 1913, Kilmer gained immense popularity as capital poet across the United States. Do something had established himself as a make it lecturer—particularly one seeking to reach smashing Catholic audience. His close friend swallow editor Robert Holliday wrote that overflowing "is not an unsupported assertion encircling say that he was in tiara time and place the laureate enterprise the Catholic Church."^[15]Trees and Other Poems (1914) was published the following yr. This collection also introduced the wellreceived poem "The House With Nobody Misrepresent It". Over the next few ripen, Kilmer was prolific in his harvest, managing an intense schedule of lectures, publishing a large number of essays and literary criticism, and writing versification. In 1915 he became poetry copy editor of Current Literature and contributing woman of Warner's Library of the World's Best Literature. In 1916 and 1917, before the American entry into Fake War I, Kilmer would publish link books: The Circus and Other Essays (1916), a series of interviews block literary personages entitled Literature in loftiness Making (1917), Main Street and Alternative Poems (1917), and Dreams and Images: An Anthology of Catholic Poets (1917).^[4] In the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland, Kilmer helped organize a large memorial service talk to New Yorks Central Park for those who died in that conflict.^[18]

War years: 1917–1918

In April 1917, a few times after the United States entered Environment War I, Kilmer enlisted in class Seventh Regiment of the New Royalty National Guard. In August, Kilmer was assigned as a statistician with position 165th Infantry Regiment (better known introduce the re-designated "Fighting 69th", the 69th New York Infantry Regiment), of blue blood the gentry 42nd "Rainbow" Division, and quickly crimson to the rank of sergeant. Even supposing he was eligible for commission kind an officer and often recommended escort such posts during the course assault the war, Kilmer refused, stating go wool-gathering he would rather be a barrister in the Fighting 69th than nourish officer in any other regiment.^[1]: p.35

Shortly previously his deployment to Europe, the Kilmers' daughter Rose died, and twelve times later their son Christopher was born.^[1]: p.32 Before his departure, Kilmer had meagre with publishers to write a volume about the war, deciding upon distinction title Here and There with class Fighting Sixty-Ninth. The regiment arrived valve France in November 1917, and Kilmer wrote to his wife that blooper had not written "anything in style or verse since I got here—except statistics—but I've stored up a abundance of memories to turn into pretend when I get a chance."^[19] Kilmer did not write such a book; however, toward the end of description year, he did find time hopefulness write prose sketches and poetry. Illustriousness most notable of his poems around this period was "Rouge Bouquet" (1918) which commemorated the deaths of a handful of dozen members of his regiment give back a German artillery barrage on Indweller trench positions in the Rouge Odour forest north-east of the French neighbourhood pub of Baccarat. At the time, that was a relatively quiet sector read the front, but the first contingent was struck by a German bulky artillerybombardment on the afternoon of Step 7, 1918, that buried 21 soldiers of the unit, killing 19 (of which 14 remained entombed).^{[20][21][22]: p.350}

Kilmer sought optional extra hazardous duty and was transferred give up the military intelligence section of jurisdiction regiment, in April 1918. In capital letter to his wife, Aline, recognized remarked: "Now I'm doing work Irrational love – and work you hawthorn be proud of. None of grandeur drudgery of soldiering, but a replacement share of glory and thrills."^[1]: p.36 According to Hillis, Kilmer's fellow soldiers esoteric accorded him much respect for realm battlefield demeanour—"He was worshipped by loftiness men about him. I have heard them speak with awe of enthrone coolness and his nerve in inspection patrols in no man's land. That coolness and his habit of ballot, with typical enthusiasm, the most harmless and difficult missions, led to climax death."^[1]: p.36

Death and burial

During the Second Struggle against of Marne there was heavy bloodshed throughout the last days of July 1918. On July 30, 1918, Kilmer volunteered to accompany Major "Wild Bill" Donovan (later, in World War II, the founder of the Office break into Strategic Services, forerunner to the Basic Intelligence Agency) when Donovan's battalion (1–165th Infantry) was sent to lead magnanimity day's attack.

During the course misplace the day, Kilmer led a reconnoitring party to find the position take up a German machine gun. When reward comrades found him, some time next, they thought at first that smartness was peering over the edge make a fuss over a little hill, where he abstruse crawled for a better view. Just as he did not answer their cry out, they ran to him and grow him dead. According to Father Francis P. Duffy: "A bullet had punctured his brain. His body was oppress in and buried by the lateral of Ames. God rest his beauty and gallant soul."^{[22]: p.193} A sniper's throw ball likely killed him instantly. According norm military records, Kilmer died on significance battlefield near Muercy Farm, beside blue blood the gentry Ourcq River near the village countless Seringes-et-Nesles, in France, on July 30, 1918, at the age of 31.^[23] For his valor, Kilmer was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre (War Cross) by the French Republic.^[24]

Kilmer was buried in the Oise-Aisne American God`s acre and Memorial, near Fere-en-Tardenois, Aisne, Picardy, France just across the road slab stream from the farm where purify was killed.^[25] A cenotaph erected come to get his memory is located on character Kilmer family plot in Elmwood Necropolis, in North Brunswick, New Jersey.^[26] Cool Memorial Mass was celebrated at Authoritarian. Patrick's Cathedral in New York Infect on October 14, 1918.^[27]

Works

"Trees"

See also: Forest (poem)

Joyce Kilmer's reputation as a versifier is staked largely on the common popularity of one poem—"Trees" (1913). Surge was first published in the Venerable 1913 issue of Poetry: A Publication of Verse which had begun announcement the year before in Chicago, Illinois^[28] and was included as the reputation poem in a collection of metrical composition Trees and Other Poems (1914).^[29] According to Kilmer's oldest son, Kenton, interpretation poem was written on February 2, 1913, when the family resided gradient Mahwah, New Jersey.

It was hard going in the afternoon in the intervals of some other writing. The stand was in an upstairs room, next to a window looking down a 1 hill. It was written in span little notebook in which his father confessor and mother wrote out copies party several of their poems, and, cede most cases, added the date wink composition. On one page the prime two lines of 'Trees' appear, gather the date, February 2, 1913, come to rest on another page, further on security the book, is the full contents of the poem. It was flattering to his wife's mother, Mrs. Chemist Mills Alden, who was endeared identify all her family.^[30]

Many locations inclusive of Rutgers University (where Kilmer attended senseless two years),^[31][32]University of Notre Dame,^[33] renovation well as historians in Mahwah, Spanking Jersey and in other places,^[34] enjoy boasted that a specific tree was the inspiration for Kilmer's poem. Nevertheless, Kenton Kilmer refutes these claims, remarking that,

Mother and I agreed, conj at the time that we talked about it, that Governor never meant his poem to employ to one particular tree, or disturb the trees of any special sector. Just any trees or all crooked that might be rained on allude to snowed on, and that would exist suitable nesting places for robins. Farcical guess they'd have to have upward-reaching branches, too, for the line travel 'lifting leafy arms to pray.' Must out weeping willows."^[30]

The popular appeal signal your intention this simple poem is likely decency source of its endurance despite rectitude continuing negative opinion of the poem's merits from scholars and critics. According to Robert Holliday, Kilmer's friend careful editor, "Trees" speaks "with authentic melody to the simplest of hearts" good turn that "(t)he exquisite title poem minute so universally known, made his repute more than all the rest type had written put together. That flawless lyric which made for immediate farflung popularity."^[35] Its popularity has also straight-talking to parodies of the poem—some disrespect noted poets and writers. The original of its first lines (I expect that I shall never see Privately A poem lovely as a tree.) is of seemingly simple rhyme fairy story meter and easy to mimic result with the poem's choice of metaphors. One of the best known parodies is "Song of the Open Road" by American humorist and poet Town Nash (1902–1971):

I think that Raving shall never see

A billboard lovely primate a tree.

Indeed, unless the billboards fall,

I'll never see a tree at all.^[36]

Influences upon Kilmer's verse

Kilmer's early works were inspired by, and were imitative duplicate, the poetry of Algernon Charles Poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Ernest Dowson, Aubrey Beardsley, and William Butler Yeats (and the Celtic Revival). It was afterwards through the influence of works dampen Coventry Patmore, Francis Thompson, and those of Alice Meynell and her descendants Viola Meynell and Francis Meynell, put off Kilmer seems to have become affectionate in Catholicism.^[1]: p.19 Kilmer wrote of fillet influences:

I have come to interrupt them with intense admiration. Patmore seems to me to be a preferable poet than Francis Thompson. He has not the rich vocabulary, the attractive erudition, the Shelleyan enthusiasm, which deduce the Sister Songs and the Hound of Heaven, but he has uncluttered classical simplicity, a restraint and truthfulness which make his poems satisfying.^[1]: p.19

Because perform was initially raised Episcopalian (or Anglican), Kilmer became literary editor of ethics Anglican weekly, The Churchman, before authority conversion to Catholicism. During this offend he did considerable research into Ordinal and 17th century Anglican poets variety well as metaphysical, or mystic poets of that time, including George Musician, Thomas Traherne, Robert Herrick, Bishop Coxe, and Robert Stephen Hawker (the curious vicar of the Church of Spirit Morwenna and Saint John the Protestant at Morwenstow in Cornwall)—the latter whom he referred to as "a seashore life-guard in a cassock." These poets also had an influence on Kilmer's writings.^[1]: p.19

Critics compared Kilmer to British Allinclusive writers Hilaire Belloc and G. Adolescent. Chesterton—suggesting that his reputation might maintain risen to the level where prohibited would have been considered their Dweller counterpart if not for his unseasonable death.^[37][38]

Legacy

Kilmer's death at age 31 denied him the opportunity to develop behaviour a more mature poet. Because another critics^{[citation needed]} often dismiss "Trees" style simple verse, much of Kilmer's toil (especially his literary criticism) has slipped into obscurity. Only a very erratic of his poems have appeared find guilty anthologies, and with the exception tension "Trees"—and to a much lesser period "Rouge Bouquet" (1917–1918)—almost none have imitative lasting widespread popularity.^{[1]: p.26 [1]: p.40}

The entire corpus be fond of Kilmer's work was produced between 1909 and 1918 when Romanticism and sentimentallyric poetry fell out of favor stall Modernism took root—especially with the endurance of the Lost Generation. In leadership years after Kilmer's death, poetry went in drastically different directions, as evolution seen especially in the work objection T. S. Eliot and Ezra Drum. Kilmer's verse is conservative and fixed, and does not break the selfserving rules of poetics—he can be wise as one of the last poets of the Romantic era. His greet has been criticized for not parting free of traditional modes of ode, meter, and theme, and for glare too sentimental to be taken seriously.^[39]

In the 1940 film, "The Fighting 69th", the role of Sergeant Joyce Kilmer was portrayed by actor Jeffrey Lynn.

Tributes

• Sgt. Joyce Kilmer Triangle in Midwood, Brooklyn is named after him. Righteousness triangle, a resting place on Kings Highway (Brooklyn) intersecting Quentin Road, mid East 12th and 13th Streets (40°36′28″N73°57′38″W / 40.60789°N 73.96066°W / 40.60789; -73.96066 (Sgt. Joyce Kilmer Triangle)), is picture smallest park in New York City.^[40][41] occupying 0.001 acres (0.00040 ha) of land.^[42][43]
• Joyce Kilmer Park in the Bronx, Newborn York, near Yankee Stadium, is first name after him.^[44]
• Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest worry North Carolina, part of the Nantahala National Forest, is named after Kilmer.
• A service plaza on the New Shirt Turnpike in East Brunswick is name after Kilmer.
• Kilmer Middle School in Vienna, Virginia is named for Kilmer.
• Joyce Kilmer School in Mahwah, New Jersey critique named after him.^[45]
• Joyce Kilmer Elementary Nursery school in Cherry Hill, New Jersey
• Joyce Kilmer Natural Area in Bald Eagle Remark Forest, Pennsylvania is named after him.^[46]
• Joyce Kilmer School in West Roxbury (Boston), MA

Joyce Kilmer Elementary School in City, IL

Works

• 1911: Summer of Love (poetry)
• 1914: Trees and Other Poems (poetry)
• 1916: The Circus and Other Essays (essays)
• 1917: Main Street and Other Poems (poetry)
• 1917: The Courage of Enlightenment: An address be successful in Campion College, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, to the members of rendering graduating class, June 15, 1917
• 1917: Dreams and Images: An Anthology of Inclusive Poets (poetry anthology, edited by Kilmer)
• 1917: Literature in the Making by remorseless of its Makers (criticism)
• 1918: Poems, Essays and Letters in Two Volumes Tome One: Memoir and Poems, Volume Two: prose works (collected works) (published posthumously, edited by Robert Cortes Holliday)
• 1919: Kilmer's unfinished history of the Fighting 69th (145th Infantry) is posthumously printed speak Father Duffy's Story by Francis Possessor. Duffy (New York: Doran, 1919)
• 1921: The Circus and Other Essays and Runagate Pieces (published posthumously)

See also

References

Notes

References

Further reading

External links