Leonora Speyer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leonora Speyer
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Lady Speyer by John Singer Sargent, 1907
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| Born | 7 November 1872 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Died | 10 February 1956 (aged 83) New York, U.S.
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| Nationality | American British |
| Occupation | Violinist Poet |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 4 |
Leonora Speyer, Lady Speyer (born Leonora von Stosch; 7 November 1872 – 10 February 1956), was an American poet and a talented violinist.
Contents
Early Life and Music Career
Leonora Speyer was born in Washington, D.C.. Her father was Count Ferdinand von Stosch, who came from Silesia and fought for the Union side in the American Civil War. Her mother, Julia Schayer, was a writer.
Leonora loved music from a young age. She studied the violin in famous cities like Brussels, Paris, and Leipzig. She became a professional violinist and played under the direction of well-known conductors, including Arthur Nikisch and Anton Seidl.
In 1894, she married Louis Meredith Howland. They later divorced in Paris in 1902. After that, she married Edgar Speyer, a banker from London. They lived in London for many years.
Moving to America and Becoming a Poet
In 1915, Leonora and Edgar moved to the United States. They settled in New York City. It was there that Leonora began to write poetry.
Her poems quickly gained attention. In 1927, she won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. This award was for her book of poems titled Fiddler's Farewell.
Leonora had four daughters. Her first daughter, Enid, was from her first marriage. She had three more daughters—Pamela, Leonora, and Vivien Claire—with her second husband, Edgar.
Awards and Recognition
Leonora Speyer received several important awards for her writing.
- Golden Rose Award
- Pulitzer Prize
Lasting Impact
Leonora Speyer's words have inspired other artists. For example, the American composer Gertrude Martin Rohrer (1875-1968) used Speyer’s poem for her vocal quartet called Wood-nymph.
Selected Published Works
Here are some of Leonora Speyer's well-known works:
- "April on the Battlefields", from The Second Book of Modern Verse (1919).
- "A Note from the Pipes", from The Second Book of Modern Verse (1919).
- "Suddenly", from Anthology of Magazine Verse for 1920.
- "Song", from Anthology of Magazine Verse for 1920.
- Oberammergau, a special book made in 1922.
- American Poets, An Anthology Of Contemporary Verse (1923).
- Fiddler's Farewell (1926) (full text at Wikisource).
- Slow Wall; poems, new and selected (1939).
- Slow wall; poems, together with Nor without music (1944).
