Bogan, Louise

Bogan, Louise

(bō`gən), 1897–1970, American poet and critic, b. Livermore, Maine. She spent much of her life in New York City and was for many years poetry editor for the New Yorker. Her verse is intense, personal, and yet restrained, revealing a metaphysical awareness of the tragedy of life. Among her volumes of poetry are Body of This Death (1923), Poems and New Poems (1941), Collected Poems (1954), and The Blue Estuaries: Poems 1923–1968 (1968). Her other works include a literary history, Achievement in American Poetry, 1900–1950 (1950); and collections of criticism, Selected Criticism (1958) and A Poet's Alphabet (1970).

Bibliography

See her autobiography, Journey around My Room (1981); collected letters, ed. by R. Limmer (1973); A Poet's Prose: Selected Writings of Louise Bogan, ed. by M. Kinzie (2005); biography by E. Frank (1984); studies by M. Collins, ed. (1984), J. Ridgeway (1984), G. Bowles (1987), and L. Upton (1996).

Bogan, Louise

(1897–1970) poet, writer; born in Livermore Falls, Maine. She studied at Boston University (1915–16), moved to New York City, and served as poetry editor of the New Yorker (1931–69). She was an influential critic, as in Achievement in American Poetry 1900–1950 (1951), and a noted lyrical poet, as in The Blue Estuaries (1968).