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Robinson, Edwin Arlington

(Encyclopedia)Robinson, Edwin Arlington, 1869–1935, American poet, b. Head Tide, Maine, attended Harvard (1891–93). At his death, many critics considered Robinson the greatest poet in the United States. He is n...

Harte, Bret

(Encyclopedia)Harte, Bret (Francis Brett Harte) härt [key], 1836–1902, American writer of short stories and humorous verse, b. Albany, N.Y. At 19 he went to California, where he tried his hand at teaching, clerk...

Parker, Dorothy

(Encyclopedia)Parker, Dorothy (Dorothy Rothschild Parker), 1893–1967, American short-story and verse writer, b. West End, N.J. While serving as drama critic for Vanity Fair (1916–17) and book critic for the New...

Noyes, Alfred

(Encyclopedia)Noyes, Alfred noiz [key], 1880–1958, English poet, best known for his poems “The Highwayman” and “The Barrel-Organ.” His first volume of verse, Loom of Years, appeared in 1902. It was follow...

Heliand

(Encyclopedia)Heliand hĕlˈēənd, hāˈlēänd [key] [Old Saxon,=Savior], Old Saxon poem of 5,983 lines, a narrative of the life of Jesus in alliterative verse, written c.825. ...

Rachel, Russian poet who wrote in Hebrew

(Encyclopedia)Rachel, pseud. of Rachel Bluwstein, 1890–1931, Russian poet who wrote in Hebrew. She moved to Palestine in 1909 where she worked as a laborer. Her verse is simple and relates to the experience of Je...

King, William, English poet

(Encyclopedia)King, William, 1663–1712, English poet. He supported the Tory and High Church party. He is noted for his humorous and satirical writings, which include Dialogues of the Dead (attacks against Richard...

Kirby, William

(Encyclopedia)Kirby, William, 1817–1906, Canadian author, b. England. He was a journalist and civil servant. Besides volumes of verse and tales, he wrote The Golden Dog (1877), also published as Le Chien d'or (18...

Apollodorus, Greek scholar

(Encyclopedia)Apollodorus (of Athens), fl. 2d cent. b.c., Greek scholar. He wrote many works on grammar, history, and mythology. His best-known books, only fragments of which survive, are On the Gods, a prose treat...

Quarles, Francis

(Encyclopedia)Quarles, Francis, 1592–1644, English poet. His best-known work is Emblems (1635), a book of moral and religious verse. Though not an ardent royalist, he wrote pamphlets during the Commonwealth uphol...