Louis Untermeyer
Encyclopedia
Louis Untermeyer was an American poet, anthologist, critic, and editor. He was appointed the fourteenth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress
in 1961.
. He married Jean Starr in 1906. Their son Richard was born in 1907 and died under uncertain circumstances in 1927. After a 1926 divorce, they were reunited in 1929, after which they adopted two sons, Laurence and Joseph. He married the poet Virginia Moore in 1927; their son, John Moore Untermeyer (1928), was renamed John Fitzallen Moore
after a painful 1929 divorce. In the 1930s, he divorced Jean Starr Untermeyer and married Esther Antin. This relationship also ended in divorce in 1945. In 1948, he married Bryna Ivens, an editor of Seventeen
magazine.
He was known for his wit and his love of puns. For a while, he held Marxist beliefs, writing for magazines such as The Masses
, through which he advocated that the United States stay out of World War I
. After the suppression of that magazine by the U.S. government, he joined The Liberator, published by the Workers Party of America
. Later he wrote for the independent socialist magazine The New Masses
. He was a co-founder of "The Seven Arts", a poetry magazine that is credited for introducing many new poets, including Robert Frost, who became Untermeyer's long-term friend and correspondent.
In 1950, Untermeyer was a panelist during the first year of the What's My Line?
television quiz program. According to Bennett Cerf
, Untermeyer would sign virtually any piece of paper that someone placed in front of him, and Untermeyer inadvertently signed a few Communist proclamations. According to Cerf, Untermeyer was not at all a communist, but he had joined several suspect societies that made him stand out. He was named during the hearings by the House Committee on Un-American Activities investigating communist subversion. The Catholic War Veterans and "right wing organizations" began hounding Mr. Untermeyer. Goodson-Todman, producer of the show, held out against the protests of Untermeyer for some time, but finally veterans began picketing the theater. The pressure became too great, and the sponsor Jules Montenier
said, “After all, I'm paying a lot of money for this. I can't afford to have my product picketed.” At that point, the producers told Untermeyer that he had to leave the program. This action led to Bennett Cerf
becoming a permanent member of the program. The controversy surrounding Untermeyer led to him being blacklisted
by the industry.
He was the author or editor of close to 100 books, from 1911 until his death. Many of them and his other memorabilia are preserved in a special section of the Lilly Library at the Indiana University. Schools used his Modern American and British poetry books widely, and they often formed students' introduction to poetry. He and Bryna Ivens Untermeyer created a number of books for young people, under the Golden Treasury of Children's Literature. He lectured on literature for many years, both in the US and other countries. In 1956 the Poetry Society of America
awarded Untermeyer a Gold Medal. He also served as a Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress
from 1961 until 1963.
Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress
The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the nation's official poet. During his or her term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of...
in 1961.
Life and career
Untermeyer was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He married Jean Starr in 1906. Their son Richard was born in 1907 and died under uncertain circumstances in 1927. After a 1926 divorce, they were reunited in 1929, after which they adopted two sons, Laurence and Joseph. He married the poet Virginia Moore in 1927; their son, John Moore Untermeyer (1928), was renamed John Fitzallen Moore
John Fitzallen Moore
John Fitzallen Moore is an American physicist, the son of authors Virginia Moore and Louis Untermeyer. His work in military electronics, communications, and spectroscopy culminated in medical electronics and x-ray products with the founding of the company Bio-Imaging Research.-Biography:After...
after a painful 1929 divorce. In the 1930s, he divorced Jean Starr Untermeyer and married Esther Antin. This relationship also ended in divorce in 1945. In 1948, he married Bryna Ivens, an editor of Seventeen
Seventeen (magazine)
Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications. News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the...
magazine.
He was known for his wit and his love of puns. For a while, he held Marxist beliefs, writing for magazines such as The Masses
The Masses
The Masses was a graphically innovative magazine of socialist politics published monthly in the U.S. from 1911 until 1917, when Federal prosecutors brought charges against its editors for conspiring to obstruct conscription. It was succeeded by The Liberator and then later The New Masses...
, through which he advocated that the United States stay out of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. After the suppression of that magazine by the U.S. government, he joined The Liberator, published by the Workers Party of America
Workers Party of America
The Workers Party of America was the name of the legal party organization used by the Communist Party USA from the last days of 1921 until the middle of 1929. As a legal political party the Workers Party accepted affiliation from independent socialist groups such as the African Blood Brotherhood,...
. Later he wrote for the independent socialist magazine The New Masses
The New Masses
The "New Masses" was a prominent American Marxist publication edited by Walt Carmon, briefly by Whittaker Chambers, and primarily by Michael Gold, Granville Hicks, and Joseph Freeman....
. He was a co-founder of "The Seven Arts", a poetry magazine that is credited for introducing many new poets, including Robert Frost, who became Untermeyer's long-term friend and correspondent.
In 1950, Untermeyer was a panelist during the first year of the What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
television quiz program. According to Bennett Cerf
Bennett Cerf
Bennett Alfred Cerf was a publisher and co-founder of Random House. Cerf was also known for his own compilations of jokes and puns, for regular personal appearances lecturing across the United States, and for his television appearances in the panel game show What's My Line?.-Biography:Bennett Cerf...
, Untermeyer would sign virtually any piece of paper that someone placed in front of him, and Untermeyer inadvertently signed a few Communist proclamations. According to Cerf, Untermeyer was not at all a communist, but he had joined several suspect societies that made him stand out. He was named during the hearings by the House Committee on Un-American Activities investigating communist subversion. The Catholic War Veterans and "right wing organizations" began hounding Mr. Untermeyer. Goodson-Todman, producer of the show, held out against the protests of Untermeyer for some time, but finally veterans began picketing the theater. The pressure became too great, and the sponsor Jules Montenier
Jules Montenier
Dr. Jules Bernard Montenier , of Chicago, Illinois, was an inventor and a cosmetic chemist. He was also the founder of Jules Montenier, Inc., a cosmetics company. He was famous for inventing "Stopette", a long time sponsor of What's My Line?. Stopette's slogan, repeated at the beginning of the...
said, “After all, I'm paying a lot of money for this. I can't afford to have my product picketed.” At that point, the producers told Untermeyer that he had to leave the program. This action led to Bennett Cerf
Bennett Cerf
Bennett Alfred Cerf was a publisher and co-founder of Random House. Cerf was also known for his own compilations of jokes and puns, for regular personal appearances lecturing across the United States, and for his television appearances in the panel game show What's My Line?.-Biography:Bennett Cerf...
becoming a permanent member of the program. The controversy surrounding Untermeyer led to him being blacklisted
Hollywood blacklist
The Hollywood blacklist—as the broader entertainment industry blacklist is generally known—was the mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals who were denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or...
by the industry.
He was the author or editor of close to 100 books, from 1911 until his death. Many of them and his other memorabilia are preserved in a special section of the Lilly Library at the Indiana University. Schools used his Modern American and British poetry books widely, and they often formed students' introduction to poetry. He and Bryna Ivens Untermeyer created a number of books for young people, under the Golden Treasury of Children's Literature. He lectured on literature for many years, both in the US and other countries. In 1956 the Poetry Society of America
Poetry Society of America
The Poetry Society of America is a literary organization founded in 1910 by poets, editors, and artists including Witter Bynner. It is the oldest poetry organization in the United States. Past members of the have included such renowned writers as Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent...
awarded Untermeyer a Gold Medal. He also served as a Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress
Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress
The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the nation's official poet. During his or her term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of...
from 1961 until 1963.
Poetry collections
- The Younger Quire (parodies), Mood Publishing, 1911.
- First Love, French, 1911.
- Challenge, Century, 1914.
- These Times, Holt, 1917.
- Including Horace, Harcourt, 1919.
- The New Adam, Harcourt, 1920.
- Roast Leviathan, Harcourt, 1923, reprinted, Arno, 1975.
- (With son, Richard Untermeyer) Poems, privately printed, 1927.
- Burning Bush, Harcourt, 1928.
- Adirondack Cycle, Random House, 1929.
- Food and Drink, Harcourt, 1932.
- First Words before Spring, Knopf, 1933.
- Selected Poems and Parodies, Harcourt, 1935.
- For You with Love (juvenile), Golden Press, 1961.
- Long Feud: Selected Poems, Harcourt, 1962.
- One and One and One (juvenile), Crowell-Collier, 1962.
- This Is Your Day (juvenile), Golden Press, 1964.
- Labyrinth of Love, Simon & Schuster, 1965.
- Thanks: A Poem (juvenile), Odyssey, 1965.
- Thinking of You (juvenile), Golden Press, 1968.
- A Friend Indeed, Golden Press, 1968.
- You: A Poem, (juvenile), illustrations by Martha Alexander, Golden Press, 1969.
Essay collections
- American Poetry Since 1900 (19??)
- The Forms Of Poetry (1926)
- Play in Poetry (1938)
- Doorways to Poetry (1938)
- The Lowest Form of Wit (1947)
- The Pursuit of Poetry (1969)
Critical collections
- The Poems of Henry Wadsworth LongfellowHenry Wadsworth LongfellowHenry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
(1943) - The Poetry and Prose of Walt WhitmanWalt WhitmanWalter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
(1949) - The Letters of Robert FrostRobert FrostRobert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
to Louis Untermeyer (1963) - The Love Poems of ElizabethElizabeth Barrett BrowningElizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband, Robert Browning, shortly after her death.-Early life:Members...
and Robert BrowningRobert BrowningRobert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.-Early years:...
(1994) - The Love Poems of Robert HerrickRobert Herrick (poet)Robert Herrick was a 17th-century English poet.-Early life:Born in Cheapside, London, he was the seventh child and fourth son of Julia Stone and Nicholas Herrick, a prosperous goldsmith....
and John DonneJohn DonneJohn Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
(1948)
Fictional volumes
- Moses (1923)
- The Fat of the Cat and Other Stories
- The Donkey of God and Other Stories (1932)
- The Kitten Who Barked (1962), illustrator: Lilian Obligado
- The Second Christmas (1964), illustrator: Louis Marak
- Cat O' Nine Tales (1971), illustrator: Lawrence DiFiori
- The Dog of Pompeii
Biography
- Heinrich HeineHeinrich HeineChristian Johann Heinrich Heine was one of the most significant German poets of the 19th century. He was also a journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Lieder by composers such as Robert Schumann...
: Paradox and Poet (1937) - Makers of the Modern World (with John Moore) (1955)
- Makers of the Modern World selections, Japanese translation (1971)
Anthologies, as editor or compiler
- Modern American Poetry (1919) (2nd edition, 1921; 6th edition, 1942)
- Modern British Poetry (1920) (5th edition, 1942)
- Modern American and British Poetry (1919)
- Yesterday and Today (1926)
- New Songs for New Voices (1928), with Clara and David Mannes, illustrator: Peggy Bacon
- A Treasury of Great Poems (1942, 1955)
- The Golden Treasury of Poetry (1959), illustrator: Joan Walsh Anglund
- Story Poems (1946, 1972)
- Early American Poets (1952)
- An Uninhibited Treasury of Erotic Poetry (1963)
- A Galaxy of Verse (1978)
- Men and Women: the Poetry of Love (1970), illustrator: Robert J. Lee
- Collins Albatross Book of Verse (1933, 1960)
- Stars To Steer By (1941)
- Lots of Limericks (1961), illustrator: R. Taylor
- The Book of Living Verse (1932, 1945)
- Rainbow in the Sky (1935), illustrator: Reginald BirchReginald Bathurst BirchReginald Bathurst Birch was an English-American artist and illustrator. He was best known for his depiction of the titular hero of Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1886 novel Little Lord Fauntleroy, which started a craze in juvenile fashion...
- A Treasury of Laughter (1946)
- An Anthology of New England Poets (1948)
- The Best Humor of 1949-1950 (with Ralph E. Shikes, 1950)
- The Best Humor Annual (with Ralph E. Shikes, 1951)
- The Best Humor Annual (with Ralph E. Shikes, 1952)
- The Magic Circle (1952)
- A Treasury of Ribaldry (1956)
- The Britannica Library of Great American Writing (1960)
- Big and Little Creatures (1961), with Bryna Ivens Untermeyer
- Beloved Tales (1962), with Bryna Ivens Untermeyer
- Old Friends and Lasting favorites (1962), with Bryna Ivens Untermeyer
- Fun and Fancy (1962), with Bryna Ivens Untermeyer
- Creatures Wild and Tame (1963), with Bryna Ivens Untermeyer
- The Golden Book of Poems for the Very Young (1971)
- A Treasury of Great Humor (1972)
Adapted or translated books
- Poems of Heinrich Heine (19??)
- The Wonderful Adventures of Paul Bunyan (1946), illustrator: Everett Gee Jackson
- More French Fairy Tales (1946), illustrator: Gustave Doré
- Cyrano de BergeracCyrano de BergeracHercule-Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a French dramatist and duelist. He is now best remembered for the works of fiction which have been woven, often very loosely, around his life story, most notably the 1897 play by Edmond Rostand...
(1954), illustrator: Pierre Brissaud - Aesop's FablesAesop's FablesAesop's Fables or the Aesopica are a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and story-teller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 560 BCE. The fables remain a popular choice for moral education of children today...
(1965), illustrator: A. and M. Provensen - Songs of Joy from the Book of Psalms (1967), illustrator: Joan Berg Victor
- Tales from the Ballet (1968), illustrator: A. and M. Provensen
- A Time for Peace (1969), illustrator: Joan Berg Victor
- The World's Great Stories (1964)
- The Firebringer (1968)
- Lines to a Pomeranian Puppy Valued at $3500 (1950), musical adaptation of Untermeyer poem by Irving Ravin