Schwartz, Delmore (1913-1966), was an American poet. Most critics consider his lyric poems of the 1930’s and early 1940’s to be his most important works. In those early poems, Schwartz expressed his belief that knowledge is the key to achieving responsible individuality. But he also believed that knowledge always brings disillusionment. His poetry reflected his conviction that people’s only firm basis for living is the recognition of their inevitable death and of their need for others.
Schwartz gained fame for his first collection of poems, In Dreams Begin Responsibilities (1938). His last collection, Summer Knowledge (1959), contains all his lyric poems as well as some later less successful works. Schwartz also wrote a number of short stories that reflect his middle-class Jewish background. Many of these stories appear in The World Is a Wedding (1948) and Successful Love (1961). His writings on literature and motion pictures were collected in Selected Essays, published in 1970 after his death.
Schwartz was born on Dec. 8, 1913, in New York City. From 1943 to 1955, he was an editor for Partisan Review magazine. He also taught at several universities. He died on July 11, 1966.
