Arthur guiterman biography summary form

  • Guiterman was one of the most prolific poets of the early 20th century, writing and publishing over 4,000 verses in his lifetime.
  • Arthur Guiterman was an American writer known for his humorous and light verse.
  • Arthur Guiterman (1871 - 1943) was an editor, book reviewer, and poet.

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    Our suburbs are under the plow,
    Our scaffolds are raw in the sun;
    We’re drunk and disorderly now,
    BUT—
    ‘Twill be a great place when it’s done

    -Arthur Guiterman, “New York,” “Ballads of Old New York”, 1920

    To say that Arthur Guiterman was one of the most prolific and talented poets of his generation would be somewhat of an exaggeration. In truth, the previous sentence fryst vatten a complete misrepresentation of fact.

    But what God given writing talent Guiterman lacked, he made up for in sheer volume.  From the turn of the century until his death in 1943 Guiterman churned out more than a dozen volumes of popular verse geared towards the undiscriminating masses.

    For example: In a poem about dinosaurs, published in a 1918 collection called The glad Lyre, Guiterman wrote,

    The Great Tyrannosaurus
    Lived centuries ago;
    Through marshes wet and porous
    He rambled to and fro.

    A true working writer, Guiterman never sought, nor deserved, critical acclaim.  For Gu

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    Co-founder of the Poetry Society of America, Arthur Guiterman was born in Vienna in 1871 to American parents who lived in Austria before returning to New York when their son was three years old. In his teens, Guiterman attended public school before graduating and heading for New York City College. He was more interested in athletic and dramatic pursuits than academic subjects but managed to gain a BA in 1891, partly because of his love of English literature.

    With a growing passion for poetry, Guiterman found han själv working on the editorial board of the Woman’s Home Companion for a few years, whilst also lending his skills on a freelance basis to such publications as The Reader’s Digest. He published a number of individual poems in a variety of magazines over the next ten years but never earned enough to support himself as a full-time poet.

    It wasn’t until his humorous poems began to gain attention that he began to gain in stature as a writer. His poem Strictly Germ Proof was pu

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    Details

    12 items

    Collection includes undated manuscripts of six poems: "Death and General Putnam," "The Irreverent Brahmin," "Winter quarters," "A Working creed," "Education," and "Dumps." Also includes a manuscript of a quotation, and the answer to a questionnaire [from Will Orton Tewson] regarding the most beautiful line of poetry in the English language

    Collection also includes letters from Guiterman to Mr. Langfeld agreeing to meet a request despite other demands on his time, to a Miss O'Brien giving her frank criticism and advice on her poetry, to Mr. Hanna declining an invitation to a dinner honoring Irving Bacheller, and to a Mrs. Thomas thanking her for sending an article

    American poet, newspaperman, and editor; born in Austria; writer of light verse

    Forms part of the Clifton Waller Barrett Library

    Arthur Guiterman papers, in the Clifton Waller Barrett Library, Accession #7637, 7637-a, 7637-b, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va

    Annotated list availa

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