The Life of Amy Lowell

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Recommended: The portrayal of women in 19th century literature

“For books are more than books, they are the life, the very heart and core of ages past, the reason why men worked and died, the essence and quintessence of their lives.” I believe this is one of the greatest quotes written by Amy Lowell. I chose to write about Amy Lowell only because she looked interesting through her writing. I loved the fact that she was a rebel. She had a reputation for violating old-fashioned morals. She flaunted her obesity, smoked cigars, used swearing in her everyday language, and even had a same sex lover. It is like she wanted to be one of the guys, which is interesting considering the fact that women were not supposed to act like that back then. It was rumored that she had a romantic relationship with the actress Ada Dwyer Russell, who may have inspired some of her erotic poems. She definitely stood out to me.
Amy Lowell was an American imagist poet. She died only a year before she won the Pulitzer Prize. She had written over 650 poems. Amy Lawrence Lowell was the daughter of a wealthy Boston family. She had never attended college because her family thought that it was not proper for a woman. During this time, women were seen as inferior to men, meaning they were stuck with the stereotype of housewife and mother. It wasn’t until the late 1920’s women started getting privileges that were equal to men, like the ninetieth amendment which enabled women to vote. With that being said, she took to her father’s massive library and taught herself. She took control of her own education, spending her free time in the library. She lived during the Victorian Era where expectations of women were very strict. Clothing showed one’s social status and was much known for being uncomfortable. Women were supposed to wear ...

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...she compared fire to rain really shows you their emotions and love for each other.
I chose Amy Lowell mostly because she stood out from others. Women were supposed to act a certain way back then and I love the fact that she went against it. She wanted to be like one of the guys, only better. I also admire her for not accepting the role that society and her family looked for. I really appreciated her independence. She had such a wealthy and care free life, it was nice to see her creating a name for herself instead of under her family. She did the exact opposite of what everyone expected and did what made her happy. A lot of her poems were so short and sweet but to the point. I think that everyone who likes a person who stands out in society would enjoy her work. It’s so interesting to see something different and not someone acting like everyone else, that’s boring.

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