Doolittle, Hilda (1886-1961), an American poet, was a leader of the Imagism movement in poetry during the early 1900’s. Doolittle’s style reflects Imagism’s emphasis on the clear, precise, and objective treatment of images, scenes, and events. She was strongly influenced by classical literature, especially Greek verse. Many of her poems deal with Greek mythology. She also wrote three long poems about her experiences in London during World War II (1939-1945). The poems are The Walls Do Not Fall (1944), Tribute to the Angels (1945), and The Flowering of the Rod (1946).
Doolittle was born on Sept. 10, 1886, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She moved to Europe in 1911 and lived primarily in London and in Switzerland until her death on Sept. 27, 1961. During the early 1930’s, Doolittle was psychoanalyzed by the Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud. She provided a fascinating account of her treatment in Tribute to Freud (1956). Doolittle also wrote novels and verse plays and translated ancient Greek poetry and drama. She wrote all her works under the initials H. D.
