Leonard Bacon (poet) facts for kids

Leonard Bacon (born in 1887, died in 1954) was an American writer. He was known for his poetry, his work as a translator (someone who changes words from one language to another), and as a literary critic (someone who reviews books). He was the great-grandson of a famous preacher also named Leonard Bacon.

Who Was Leonard Bacon?

Leonard Bacon was born in Solvay, New York, in 1887. He grew up to become a well-known poet. He also worked as a translator, bringing stories and poems from other languages into English. Besides that, he was a literary critic. This means he wrote reviews and opinions about books and other writings.

His Early Life and Studies

Leonard Bacon went to Yale University, a famous school in the United States. He graduated from Yale in 1909. After finishing his studies, he started teaching. He taught at the University of California, Berkeley, which is another big university. He taught there until 1923.

Becoming a Published Writer

In 1923, Leonard Bacon began to publish his poems. He often wrote for a magazine called Saturday Review of Literature. Sometimes, he used a special pen name, or pseudonym, called 'Autholycus'. A pseudonym is like a secret identity for a writer.

From 1927 to 1932, Leonard and his family lived in Florence, Italy. This beautiful city in Italy is famous for its art and history. Living there might have given him new ideas for his writing.

Winning a Big Award

Leonard Bacon won a very important award in 1941. It was the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. This prize is one of the highest honors for writers in America. He won it for his collection of poems called Sunderland Capture. These poems were known for being "satiric." This means they used humor and exaggeration to make fun of things, often to make a point.

In 1942, he was chosen as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This is a group that honors smart and creative people.

What He Wrote

Leonard Bacon wrote many books of poetry. He also translated famous works from other languages. Here are some of his notable books:

• The Heroic Ballads of Servia (1913) (translated from Spanish)
• Chanson de Roland (1914) (translated from French)
• The Cid (1919) (translated from Spanish)
• Sophia Trenton (1920)
• Ulug beg (1923)
• Ph.D.s (1925)
• Sunderland Capture (1940) (This book won the Pulitzer Prize!)
• Day of Fire (1943)