John Gould Fletcher
Encyclopedia
John Gould Fletcher was an Imagist poet
and author. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas
to a socially prominent family. After attending Phillips Academy, Andover
Fletcher went on to Harvard University
from 1903 to 1907, when he dropped out shortly after his father's death.
Fletcher lived in England
for a large portion of his life. While in Europe
he associated with Amy Lowell
, Ezra Pound
, and other Imagist poets, enjoying the vibrant social scene. Fletcher resumed a liaison with Florence Emily “Daisy” Arbuthnot (née Goold) at her house in Kent. She had been married to Malcolm Arbuthnot
and Fletcher's adultery with her was the grounds for the divorce. The couple married on July 5, 1916. Their marriage produced no children, but Arbuthnot’s son and daughter from her previous marriage lived with the couple.
His early works include Irradiations: Sand and Spray (1915), and Goblins and Pagodas (1916). In later poetic works Fletcher returned to more traditional forms. These include The Black Rock (1928), Selected Poems (1938), for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
in 1939
, and The Burning Mountain (1946).
Fletcher later returned to his home in Arkansas
and reconnected with his roots. The subject of his works turned increasingly towards Southern
issues and Tradition
alism.
In the late 1920s and 1930s he was active with a group of 11 other Southern writers and poets known as the Southern Agrarians
. This group published the classic Agrarian
manifesto I'll Take My Stand, a collection of essays rejecting Modernity
and Industrialism. In 1937 he wrote his autobiography, Life is My Song, and in 1947 he published Arkansas, a beautifully written history of his home state.
On January 18, 1936 he married a noted author of children's books, Charlie May Simon. The two of them built "Johnswood", a residence on the bluffs of the Arkansas River
outside Little Rock. They traveled frequently, however, to New York
for the intellectual stimulation and to the American Southwest for the climate, after Fletcher began to suffer from arthritis
.
Fletcher suffered from depression
and on May 20, 1950 committed suicide by drowning
in a pond near his home in Little Rock, Arkansas. Fletcher is buried at historic Mount Holly Cemetery
in Little Rock, and a branch of the Central Arkansas Library System
is named in his honor.
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and author. He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
to a socially prominent family. After attending Phillips Academy, Andover
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
Fletcher went on to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
from 1903 to 1907, when he dropped out shortly after his father's death.
Fletcher lived in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for a large portion of his life. While in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
he associated with Amy Lowell
Amy Lowell
Amy Lawrence Lowell was an American poet of the imagist school from Brookline, Massachusetts who posthumously won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1926.- Personal life:...
, Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
, and other Imagist poets, enjoying the vibrant social scene. Fletcher resumed a liaison with Florence Emily “Daisy” Arbuthnot (née Goold) at her house in Kent. She had been married to Malcolm Arbuthnot
Malcolm Arbuthnot
Malcolm Arbuthnot was a pictorialist photographer and artist....
and Fletcher's adultery with her was the grounds for the divorce. The couple married on July 5, 1916. Their marriage produced no children, but Arbuthnot’s son and daughter from her previous marriage lived with the couple.
His early works include Irradiations: Sand and Spray (1915), and Goblins and Pagodas (1916). In later poetic works Fletcher returned to more traditional forms. These include The Black Rock (1928), Selected Poems (1938), for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
The Pulitzer Prize in Poetry has been presented since 1922 for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author. However, special citations for poetry were presented in 1918 and 1919.-Winners:...
in 1939
1939 Pulitzer Prize
-Journalism awards:* Public Service:** Miami Daily News for its campaign for the recall of the Miami City Commission.* Reporting:** Thomas Lunsford Stokes of Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance for his series of articles on alleged intimidation of workers for the Works Progress Administration in...
, and The Burning Mountain (1946).
Fletcher later returned to his home in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and reconnected with his roots. The subject of his works turned increasingly towards Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
issues and Tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
alism.
In the late 1920s and 1930s he was active with a group of 11 other Southern writers and poets known as the Southern Agrarians
Southern Agrarians
The Southern Agrarians were a group of twelve American writers, poets, essayists, and novelists, all with roots in the Southern United States, who joined together to write a pro-Southern agrarian manifesto, a...
. This group published the classic Agrarian
Agrarianism
Agrarianism has two common meanings. The first meaning refers to a social philosophy or political philosophy which values rural society as superior to urban society, the independent farmer as superior to the paid worker, and sees farming as a way of life that can shape the ideal social values...
manifesto I'll Take My Stand, a collection of essays rejecting Modernity
Modernity
Modernity typically refers to a post-traditional, post-medieval historical period, one marked by the move from feudalism toward capitalism, industrialization, secularization, rationalization, the nation-state and its constituent institutions and forms of surveillance...
and Industrialism. In 1937 he wrote his autobiography, Life is My Song, and in 1947 he published Arkansas, a beautifully written history of his home state.
On January 18, 1936 he married a noted author of children's books, Charlie May Simon. The two of them built "Johnswood", a residence on the bluffs of the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
outside Little Rock. They traveled frequently, however, to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for the intellectual stimulation and to the American Southwest for the climate, after Fletcher began to suffer from arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
.
Fletcher suffered from depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
and on May 20, 1950 committed suicide by drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
in a pond near his home in Little Rock, Arkansas. Fletcher is buried at historic Mount Holly Cemetery
Mount Holly Cemetery
Mount Holly Cemetery is the original cemetery in the Quapaw Quarter area of downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, and is the resting place for numerous Arkansans of note...
in Little Rock, and a branch of the Central Arkansas Library System
Central Arkansas Library System
Central Arkansas Library System is a public library system headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. The system serves Pulaski County and Perry County.The Main Library in Downtown Little Rock is the main branch of the system...
is named in his honor.
External links
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture: John Gould Fletcher
- John Gould Fletcher at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...