Helen Vendler facts for kids

Helen Hennessy Vendler (born April 30, 1933 – died April 23, 2024) was an important American literary critic. She was known for her deep understanding and writing about poetry.

Life and career

Helen Hennessy was born on April 30, 1933, in Boston, Massachusetts. Her parents were George Hennessy and Helen née Newman Hennessy. She was the second of three children. Her parents encouraged her to read poems when she was a child. Helen's father taught Spanish, French, and Italian at a high school. Her mother had taught in a primary school before she got married.

Helen went to Emmanuel College in Boston. She received her first degree, an A.B., from Emmanuel.

Early studies and challenges

After college, Vendler received a Fulbright Fellowship. This allowed her to study in Belgium at the Université catholique de Louvain from 1954 to 1955. She originally planned to study mathematics. However, while traveling, she decided she wanted to study English literature instead. The Fulbright commission allowed her to change her focus.

When she returned to the U.S., Vendler took many English courses at Boston University. In 1956, she started as a graduate student in English at Harvard University. At first, she faced some challenges because she was a woman. However, some professors, like I. A. Richards, supported her. In 1959, Harvard offered her a teaching job in the English department. This made her the first woman to be offered an instructor position there, but she chose not to take it.

Teaching and research

Vendler earned her Ph.D. in English and American literature the next year. In 1960, she began teaching English at Cornell University. She later taught at several other colleges. These included Haverford College, Swarthmore College, and Boston University. She also spent a year as a Fulbright Lecturer in France.

From 1984 until her death, Vendler was a professor of English at Harvard University. She had taught at both Harvard and Boston University for a few years before that. In 1985, she became the William R. Kenan Professor of English and American Literature and Language. From 1987 to 1992, she was an associate dean. In 1990, she became the A. Kingsley Porter University Professor. She was the first woman to hold this important position at Harvard.

Recognitions and influence

In 2004, the National Endowment for the Humanities chose Helen Vendler for the Jefferson Lecture. This is the U.S. government's highest honor for achievements in the humanities. Her lecture was called "The Ocean, the Bird, and the Scholar." In it, she used poems by Wallace Stevens to show how important the arts are for studying humanities.

In 2006, The New York Times newspaper called Vendler "the leading poetry critic in America." Her work helped to make many poets famous. These included Jorie Graham, Seamus Heaney, and Rita Dove.

Vendler wrote many books about famous poets. These included Emily Dickinson, W. B. Yeats, Wallace Stevens, John Keats, and Seamus Heaney. She was a member of important groups like the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She also served as a judge for major awards, such as the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the National Book Award for Poetry.

Personal life

Helen Vendler was married to Zeno Vendler from 1960 to 1963. They had one child together.

Death

Helen Vendler passed away at her home in Laguna Niguel, California, on April 23, 2024. She was 90 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Helen Vendler para niños