Overview
Poetry will always remain one of humanity’s most beautiful and beloved ways of expressing emotions. This was no different in the mid-1920s, especially where the women’s rights movement was concerned. Both of the poets featured here used their voices to express themes related to the social issues of the time.
Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)
The first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, Millay was one of the most successful and respected American poets in her lifetime and is still well-regarded today. Frequently compared to the ancient Greek poet Sappho, Millay’s poetry of this time period addressed themes of rebellion against tradition and freedom and independence for women. She was known for her progressive political stances and was a member of the editorial board of Equal Rights.
Genevieve Taggard (1894-1948)
Born in Washington state and raised in Hawaii, Taggard moved to New York City upon her graduation from college in 1920. There she began working for publisher B.W. Huebsch and founded the literary journal Measure: A Journal of Poetry. At the time of this cover, two of her eventual thirteen volumes of poetry had been published. Her poems commonly dealt with themes of beauty and wildness as well as social and personal change.
