Lowell, << LOH uhl, >> Amy (1874-1925), was an American poet, critic, and biographer. Like a number of other poets of her day, Lowell was strongly influenced by the American poet Ezra Pound. She was particularly influenced by Pound’s belief that many poetic conventions of the past were worn out and restricted the poet’s creativity. With Pound and other poets, Lowell became a leader of a movement called Imagism. The Imagists emphasized the clear, objective, and precise treatment of images, objects, and events. They wrote in a style known as free verse (see Free verse ).
Lowell experimented with her own version of free verse, beginning with her second volume of poems, Sword Blades and Poppy Seed (1914). Her poems “Patterns” and “Lilacs” were experimental works that came to represent what was considered “modern” in poetry. “Patterns” was published in her collection Men, Women, and Ghosts (1916). “Lilacs” was published in What’s O’Clock (1925), a collection that won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1926, after the author’s death.
Amy Lawrence Lowell was born on Feb. 9, 1874, in Brookline, Massachusetts. She had a colorful personality and was known for her unconventional lifestyle. She died on May 12, 1925. Her Complete Poetical Works was published in 1955.
