Louis Untermeyer
Louis Untermeyer (October 1, 1885 – December 18, 1977) was an American poet, anthologist, critic, and editor. He was appointed the fourteenth Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1961.
Louis Untermeyer (October 1, 1885 – December 18, 1977) was an American poet, anthologist, critic, and editor. He was appointed the fourteenth Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1961.
Untermeyer was born in New York City. 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.
Untermeyer 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 war veterans began picketing outside the New York City television studio from which What's My Line? was telecast live. The pressure became too great, and the sponsor Jules Montenier, inventor of Stopette deodorant, 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 television series. The last live telecast on which he appeared was on March 11, 1951, and the mystery guest he questioned while blindfolded was Celeste Holm. The kinescope of this episode has been lost. His exit led to Bennett Cerf becoming a permanent member of the program.
The controversy surrounding Untermeyer led to him being blacklisted by the television industry. According to Untermeyer's friend Arthur Miller, Untermeyer became so depressed by his forced departure from What's My Line? that he refused to leave his home in Brooklyn for more than a year, and his wife Bryna answered all incoming phone calls. It was she who eventually told Miller what had happened because Untermeyer would not pick up the phone to talk to him, even though Miller's support of blacklisted writers and radio and television personalities was well-known to Untermeyer and many others. But for more than a year, whenever Miller dialed the Untermeyers' phone number, Bryna "talked obscurely about [her husband Louis] not wanting phone conversations anymore, preferring to wait until we could all get together again," wrote Miller.
Miller was a "very infrequent television watcher" in 1951, according to words he used in his 1987 autobiography, and so he did not notice that Bennett Cerf had replaced Untermeyer on the live TV game show. Miller did read New York City newspapers every day, but apparently there was no published report of Untermeyer's disappearance from television, therefore Miller was unaware that anything was wrong until Untermeyer's wife Bryna revealed what it was eventually after they had conversed by phone for more than a year.
Louis Untermeyer 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 Indiana University. Schools used his Modern American and British poetry books widely, and they often introduced college students to poetry. He and Bryna Ivens Untermeyer created a number of books for young people, under the Golden Treasury of Children's Literature. Utermeyer also rounded up contributors for a Modern Masters for Children series published by Crowell-Collier Press in the 1960s—the books were designed to have a vocabulary of 800 words and contributors included Robert Graves, Phylis McGinley, and Shirley Jackson. 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 the Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress 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.
References
Wikipedia—https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Untermeyer
with i you like all over will your there but what from their earth out every them down he laughter through into more night life world they god only each not than never grow stars while when one then half turned up though go had where spring against still love saw such even could till old how too death great things quiet why dead storm grass light long see green made sky eyes beauty flame under silence keep now little cannot come seemed who again peace rain unseen fields remember music last mirth let warm before sit air men upon years wind strong thee may trees must back about tree heart silent fall stood man cold golden fight pain hills blood breath always dawn faith sweet black the shall she came heads fly thoughts watch until away flow wave trembling can grave thing nothing brain words white color something sun some dark gentle ever birds faces sea weary ere whole rose lay above head people heaven shout doubt turn does moon first new held courage river here spread rains impatient muscles bullets fear snow shrapnel leaves torn army leaf cloudy cannon thunder land sick lies living sight cut dies blossoms among beats died banners hill thrill good face touched lips lost hold red longer two self remain laid clouds hair body somehow corner girls stone bright scarcely calls days run yet keen low nor evil drew hands casual walk vast rising knew strength growing oh what and call laugh danced conquering wars brave flung rosy between seeking power ground stubborn won although strife youth thank crept day die sang apple kept round breeze felt turns rocks tears paper sword miles leafy ranks serried screening trenches already buried beat torrents huddling cave beet fortress morose rasping nerves twitching sleep start twig snaps rustles sought foe yonder colonel stalks grieves meeting stormy crumpled mourn comrade slain shelter prying aeroplane uniform stilling earthly huge artillery plows pulls slow slipping resists beets ranker redder time graves lie called iron pity gone much young buoyant blooms fires lavish wood beloved singing become standing fire end swinging spend play lover war less hopes take forgotten groping left shoulders grew lord struggles along roads blade empty yellow notes sing naked leaps open windows children city stare alone alive pass happy suddenly rushing hand grows church without once would dare proud walked deep shining child joy defeat followed poisonous thought tumult battle banner brilliant below clover million thrive a winds flying rover streets thinned fingers running lines vivid unconquerable endless patient ant root arose dear fearless unconcern merry boys throbbing song skies swept beyond thrush eternal veil street bird darkness hush weather arms sweeping streams hidden curved breast huddled other together slept valley closing dreamed ceased lightnings thunders side sweep blow wakes flowers laughed flamed hanging colors drink strengthened softly wine drown raucous grope girt lit dirt fingered hate lives rousing crashing slave passion fragile said soon april sure thrushes field compromise toward lifted road dipped rippling pull curious locks blue flew leaned alleys boughs ceaseless silver locked loud noon cry slip been hour menace very avenue became move confident leaped dripping went pasture bars farmer boothby age luck leisurely showed path took slipped feeling shadows homeward door moonlight win shook done started wise ones neither eternity thrust bit senseless grain dust clod receives greatest gift pebble roadway lies fathers today tiniest brooks eternally kind kill sands meek wise branches heavy looked tossed own surge itself urge freshness dream speak calling name hoary spendthrift fringe buttercup goldenrod changed mystical aye dumb absorb entire goddess boast blazing bold enough forgets sense spark darkest chamber quarrel resolve chain berry coral crying clothing violence break voice anger searching veins smolders mountains marching jetting poplars arrested fountains easing finished sentence shrine polished hiss organ runs laughing pulling bush stir rusty sudden blush shut sackcloth ashes evening home tunes voices noises row sparrows eyed feet smells strange speech thrills off water part couples sometimes pale began crawl shot forth passed struck alert using feeble rather rest shoulder crowd feel knowing fresh generous smiled smile confidence confused crowded clear clean forests thousand well talking sputtering musty pointless mean sweetness warmth sings sailors filled wondered whisperings breakers chant sunshine tell eager plant fade himself struggle armor ride protest buckler truth despair plunge faltering hopeless hope darkened return when country earliest shames bleak sprays revives haze sprinkled quietly young uplift ecstasy joyousness praise choking airs squalid bruised thoroughfares mad tragic cares for bloodshed relentless enmity feud fought silently growin aggressor weapons humble harass impudent spears charge sacred privacy lawn mows wait builds digs triumphs labor having exhausted whim stretches limb small covers courageous vibration morbid forlorn desperate throbs rolling drum unrest trumpets lusty flies assail raging scornful untroubled complacency appear startling everything sharpened outlines eloquently crystal sphere sumac struggling spires rod torches single poplar marvellously boy haughty group pansies shrewish ladies cackling laces quaint unhurried prim petunias rich rank smell lettuce creepers bountifully revealed arrogantly frank radiantly morning minded sharp kindling piercing stones toad shame awe confront weed bore royal seed decompose sent bloom richly liberal slender willow calm drooping listlessly letting languid sway sad ritual athletic girl gay curl thrown garments flowing slack spirits sober seem staid stalwart knee velvet fruit worlds burn orchard glow dull tame compassionate drives energetic abrupt visionary tenements arise shone sprang agonies enthralled cheap blared sprawled roaring avenues shrieking mills brothels prisons kindly threatening stirring landscape freshening benevolent hideous sore moonlit room dress statue flushing tip marble gradually ripe flimsy fulness curves conceal perfection shrouds soft miraculous nest ivory pulses flesh catches tremblings sanctuary delight asylum godhood did purging epochs fit lake worthy mighty travails ages moulded raised akin to daisy felled in labored given meadow butterflies cleansings fears countless raisings pillow gold is this blazing your bugles crossing fountain tossing abandoned ecstasies shop giggle tug boat impertinent fife scarce whispered aloud stilled sacredness seizing rush takes breaths feared might smother filling lungs bursting opened curtains wash women surges clearly ...
