Marianne Craig Moore papers

Marianne Craig Moore was an award-winning modernist poet, writer, and critic known for her precise use of words, unusual style, and speech-like poetic rhythm. Marianne was born in Kirkwood, Missouri on November 15, 1887 to Mary Warner Moore and John Milton Moore. Because Moore’s father suffered a mental breakdown prior to her birth, Marianne never knew him. She grew up in the house of her grandfather, John R. Warner, a Presbyterian minister.

After the death of Reverend Moore in 1894, Mary moved Marianne and her older brother, John, to Allegheny City, Pennsylvania and then to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to be closer to other relatives. Mary, John, and Marianne were extremely close and filled much of their spare time with reading. Mary taught English at the Metzger Institute in Carlisle, where Marianne received her initial education. A single mother, Mary worked so that John could attend college at Yale and Marianne could go to Bryn Mawr.

In 1904 and 1905, Marianne took entrance examinations in preparation for attending Bryn Mawr. She moved into her dormitory in the fall of 1905. Although she had wanted to be an English major, her professors refused to let her, saying that her writing was too obscure and that she consistently violated rules of grammar and language—two qualities that would be hallmarks of her modernist poetry. Despite her disappointment, Marianne continued to read avidly and wrote during her college years. She published short stories and poetry in Bryn Mawr’s Tipyn o’Bob and Lantern. Marianne also had a keen interest in biology but was discouraged from majoring in the subject since her mother thought that biology was no profession for a lady. Animals and nature, however, were never far from her mind or her poetry. In the end, Marianne graduated in the Class of 1909 with a B.A. in history, economics, and politics.

After graduation, Marianne and her mother took a trip abroad. Her experiences overseas perceptibly influenced her poetry. Upon returning to the United States, Marianne attempted to have her poetry published. At the same time, she sought a job working for publishers or magazines. Failing on both fronts, she attended the Carlisle Commercial College to learn secretarial skills to become more qualified for work. Marianne got her first position working for Melvil Dewey as his secretary at the Lake Placid Club. She next worked as a teacher at the United States Indian School in Carlisle. While Marianne was teaching, she managed to find time to write. She was professionally published, at last, in 1915.

Marianne and her mother moved to New York City in 1918. With her mother always at her side, she churned out poetry, read voraciously, and interacted with other modernist poets. In 1920, Marianne was published ever more frequently in The Dial, a modernist magazine. Purchased by Scofield Thayer and J. Sibley Watson, Jr. in 1919, The Dial became a popular outlet for modernist thought, literature, and art. The art of Pablo Picasso, Renoir, Vincent Van Gogh, and Edvard Munch, among others, and the poetry of E.E. Cummings, William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, and W.B. Yeats, among others, were often featured in the magazine. In 1925, Thayer finally got Moore to agree to become acting editor of The Dial. Soon, she permanently replaced him. Moore was editor until 1929 when the magazine ceased publication. Until her death, Marianne would maintain a close friendship with J. Sibley Watson, Jr. and his wife Hildegarde.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Marianne was an active freelance writer and published books of her poetry. In 1947 she was devastated by the loss of her mother. The 1950s and 1960s brought Moore more fame and recognition. Her Collected Poems, published in 1951, won her the Bollingen Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, and the National Book Award. She was also the recipient of The National Medal for Literature, France’s Croix de Chevalier, and sixteen honorary degrees. Until the onset of her final illness in 1969, Moore traveled, participated in numerous speaking engagements, and graciously offered advice to young writers. She died on February 5, 1972. In addition to being remembered as a groundbreaking poet, Marianne Moore is remembered for her captivating conversations, iconic tricorn cap, advocacy for the conservation of Prospect Park, and love for baseball and Brooklyn.

Bibliography Willis, Patricia C. 1987. Marianne Moore: Vision into Verse. Philadelphia: Rosenbach Museum and Library.