Lizette Woodworth Reese (January 9, 1856 – December 17, 1935) was an American

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

and teacher. Born in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, she taught English for almost five decades in the schools of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. Though Reese was successful in prose as well as in poetry, the latter was her forte; she was named Poet Laureate of Maryland in 1931. She developed, even in her childhood, a strong and vigorous faculty with lyrics. As an adult, her creations were commended by critics in Europe and the United States. In her use of the sonnet, Reese displayed skill and facility of execution. Her sonnet entitled "Tears" was characterized as having a pure John Miltonic note, above all in the preluding lines. This form of verse afforded a rich and stimulating field for Reese's rhythmic and metric capabilities. Her published works 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". A biography of Reese, as well as a discussion of her poetic achievements, may be found in the ''Library of Southern Literature'', by Letitia Humphreys Yonge Wrenshall of Baltimore.

Early years and education

Lizette Woodworth Reese was born in the then-suburban community of Waverly near

, to Louisa Gabler and David Reese, who had fought with the Confederate Army in the Civil War. 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 ''Scribner's Magazine'' was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. ''Scribner's Magazine'' was the second magazine out of the Scribner's firm, after the publication of ' ...

in 1899, garnered her praise and recognition, particularly from fellow

writer

H. L. Mencken Henry Louis Mencken (September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956) was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, ...

, 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) Western High School is the oldest Public school (government funded), public Single-sex education, all-girls High school#United States, high school remaining in the United States. It is the third-oldest public high school in the state of Maryland ...

. In 1966, American composer

Margaret Shelley Vance Margaret Ann (“Peg”) Shelley Vance (30 July 1925 - 18 May 2008) was an American composer and music educator who is best remembered today for her compositions and arrangements for choirs. Vance was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Dora Aldona Kidd ...

used Reese’s text in her choral composition ''A Christmas Folk Song''. In 1931, Reese was named Poet Laureate of Maryland by the

General Federation of Women's Clubs The General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), founded in 1890 during the Progressive Movement, is a federation of over 3,000 women's clubs in the United States which promote civic improvements through volunteer service. Many of its activities ...

. She was also honorary president of the Poetry Society of Maryland and a founding member of the Woman's Literary Club of Baltimore in 1890.

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 Grace Hill Turnbull (December 30, 1880 – December 26, 1976) was an American painter, sculptor and writer. Biography Born to a cultured family in Baltimore, Turnbull studied painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art, the Pennsylvania A ...

, 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.Kelly, Cindy. ''Outdoor Sculpture in Baltimore: A Historical Guide to Public Art in the Monumental City''. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011: 9.

Works

* ''A Branch of May'' (1887) * ''A Handful of Lavender'' (1891) * ''A Quiet Road'' (1896) * ''A Wayside Lute'' (1909) * ''Spicewood'' (1921) * ''Wild Cherry'' (1923) * ''The Selected Poems'' (1926) * ''Little Henrietta'' (1927) * ''Lizette Woodworth Reese: The Pamphlet Poets'' (1928) * ''A Victorian Village: Reminiscences of Other Days'' (1929), illustrated by J. J. Lankes * ''White April'' (1930) * ''The York Road'' (1931) * ''Pastures and Other Poems'' (1933) * ''The Old House in the Country'' (1936) * A Little Song of Life (Glad that I live am I) (date?)

References

Bibliography

External links

* * * * *
Lizette Woodworth Reese Memorial
at "Monument City Blog
Lizette Woodworth Reese and the poetry of spring
at "Underbelly, a blog of the Maryland Historical Society"

at Remembering Baltimore, a blog by Archivist and Historian Edward C. Papenfuse {{DEFAULTSORT:Reese, Lizette Woodworth 1856 births 1935 deaths 19th-century American poets 19th-century American women writers 20th-century American poets 20th-century American women writers American women poets Poets from Maryland Writers from Baltimore Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century