Joyce Kilmer
Joyce Kilmer was an American poet best known for his poem "Trees," which may not fully reflect the breadth of his talent. Born to a father who was a chemist and a mother who was a writer and composer, Kilmer developed a deep appreciation for language early in life. He attended Rutgers College and later graduated from Columbia University, where he earned his B.A. in 1908. Kilmer married Aline Murray, and they had four children together. His early career included teaching high school Latin and working as a definition writer for the Standard Dictionary, during which time he also began writing poetry. He gained notable recognition when "Trees" was published in the magazine Poetry in 1914. That same year, he converted to Roman Catholicism, which influenced his later works. Kilmer served in World War I, enlisting as a private and ultimately rising to the rank of sergeant before his death in 1918 during combat in France, for which he was awarded the Croix de Guerre posthumously.
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Joyce Kilmer
Journalist
- Born: December 6, 1886
- Birthplace: New Brunswick, New Jersey
- Died: July 30, 1918
- Place of death: Second Battle of the Marne, France
Biography
Joyce Kilmer was far more talented than his well-worn and not always fondly remembered poem “Trees” might indicate. His father was a chemist, and from his mother, a writer and composer, he inherited a love of words and meter. After attending Rutgers College from 1904 to 1906, and receiving his B.A. from Columbia University in 1908, Kilmer married Aline Murray, the stepdaughter of Harper’s Monthly editor Henry Mills Alden and later a writer herself. The couple had four children.
Kilmer briefly taught high school Latin in Morristown, New Jersey, before moving to New York City. From 1909 to 1912, he was employed as a definition writer for the Standard Dictionary. During that period, he also began writing verse. In 1912, Kilmer took a job as literary editor of the Episcopal periodical Churchman, a position he left shortly thereafter to work on the book review and the Sunday magazine of The New York Times. Although he had published his first book of poetry three years earlier, the appearance of “Trees” in the august magazine Poetry in 1914 brought Kilmer his first real recognition. That same year, apparently seeking solace in the face of his daughter Rose’s polio, he also became a convert to Roman Catholicism, and references to his new faith became frequent in his verse.
When the United States formally entered into World War I, Kilmer bypassed officers training and enlisted as a private. He rose to the rank of sergeant before he was killed in 1918 during a battle in France, in which he had volunteered to take the place of a slain officer. Kilmer was posthumously awarded the Croix de Guerre for his bravery.