Edgar A. Guest facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edgar A. Guest
Guest on his radio program, 1935.
Born	Edgar Albert Guest (1881-08-20)20 August 1881 Birmingham, England
Died	5 August 1959(1959-08-05) (aged 77) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Resting place	Woodlawn Cemetery
Pen name	Eddie Guest
Occupation	Poet
Nationality	American

Edgar Albert Guest (born August 20, 1881 – died August 5, 1959) was a poet. He was born in England but became an American citizen. People often called him the "People's Poet." This was because his poems were about everyday life. They often shared hopeful and positive messages.

Who Was Edgar Guest?

Edgar Guest was a very popular poet. He wrote about 11,000 poems in his lifetime. His poems were read by millions of people. They appeared in newspapers all over North America.

His Early Life

Edgar Guest was born in Birmingham, England. This was in the year 1881. When he was ten years old, his family moved. They moved from England to Detroit, Michigan, in the United States. Edgar lived in Detroit for the rest of his life.

Becoming a Famous Poet

Edgar Guest started working at the Detroit Free Press newspaper. He began as a copy boy. Then he became a reporter. His very first poem was published on December 11, 1898. In 1902, he became an American citizen.

For 40 years, Edgar Guest's poems were very popular. They were printed in about 300 newspapers. These poems were known for being warm and positive. They often shared simple, everyday wisdom. Some of his famous books of poems include A Heap o' Livin' (1916) and Just Folks (1917).

Edgar Guest was named the Poet Laureate of Michigan. This means he was the official poet for the state. He is the only poet to have ever received this special title.

Guest on Radio and TV

Edgar Guest's popularity grew even more. He hosted his own radio show in Detroit. This show ran from 1931 to 1942. Later, in 1951, he had a TV show on NBC. It was called A Guest in Your House.

He also had another radio program. It started in 1941. This show was sponsored by Land O'Lakes Creameries. A singer named Eddy Howard was also featured on the program.

Community Involvement

Edgar Guest was a member of a group called the Freemasons in Detroit. He was a lifelong member of Ashlar Lodge No. 91. Because of his dedication, the Grand Lodge of Michigan created an award in his honor. It is called the Edgar A. Guest Award. This award is given to people in the community who help others.

Guest was also a member of a group called The Tin Whistles.

When Edgar Guest passed away in 1959, he was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit. His grandniece, Judith Guest, is also a writer. She is known for her novel Ordinary People.

How People Remember Edgar Guest

Even today, Edgar Guest's poems sometimes appear in magazines. You might see them in Reader's Digest. Some of his favorite poems, like "Myself" and "Thanksgiving," are still studied. While many loved his work, some people had different opinions about his style of poetry.

Works

• Home Rhymes, from Breakfast Table Chat (1909)
• The Panama Canal (1915)
• A Heap o' Livin' (1916)
• Just Glad Things (1916)
• Just Folks (1917)
• Over Here (1918)
• Poems of Patriotism (1918)
• The Path to Home (1919)
• A Dozen New Poems (1920)
• Sunny Songs (1920)
• Keep Going (Don't Quit) (1921)
• When Day Is Done (1921)
• Don't Quit (3 March 1921)
• All That Matters (1922)
• Making The House A Home (1922)
• The Passing Throng (1923)
• Rhymes of Childhood (1924)
• Mother (1925)
• The Light of Faith (1926)
• The Secret of The Ages (1926)
• You (1927)
• Harbor Lights of Home (1928)
• You Can't Live Your Own Life (1929)
• Poems for the Home Folks (1930)
• The Friendly Way (1931)
• Faith (1932)
• Life's Highway (1933)
• Collected Verse of Edgar Guest (1934)
• All in a Lifetime (1938)
• Between You and Me: My Philosophy of Life (1938)
• Today and Tomorrow (1942)
• Living the Years (1949)
• Sermons We See
• Courage
• The Proof of Worth
• See It Through
• Life's Slacker
• Team Work
• Can't
• At Christmas
• Things Work Out
• Have you Earned your Tomorrow
• Girl I Hope You Understand'
• A Child of Mine'