Jean Starr Untermeyer (March 13, 1886 – July 27, 1970) was an American poet, translator, and educator. She was the author of six volumes of poetry and a memoir. She was married to the poet

Louis Untermeyer Louis Untermeyer (October 1, 1885 – December 18, 1977) was an American poet, anthologist, critic, and editor. He was appointed the fourteenth Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1961. Life and career Untermeyer was born in New Y ...

Biography

Starr was born into a well-off Jewish familyHargraves, John (2003).
'Beyond Words': The Translation of Broch's ''Der Tod des Virgil'' by Jean Starr Untermeyer
. In: Paul Michael Lützeler, ''Hermann Broch, Visionary in Exile: The 2001 Yale Symposium''. Rochester, NY: Camden House. . p. 217-230; here: p. 217. in

Zanesville, Ohio Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. It is located east of Columbus and had a population of 24,765 as of the 2020 census, down from 25,487 as of the 2010 census. Historically the state capita ...

, the daughter of Abram Starr and Johanna Starr (née Schonfeld), the oldest of three siblings.Tillona, Francesca (March 20, 2009).
Jean Starr Untermeyer
" ''Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia''. Jewish Women's Archive. www.jwa.org. Retrieved 2016-07-08. Her maternal grandparents were immigrants from Germany. Starr was educated at Kohut College Preparatory School for Girls, in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, and then entered

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. While still in college, she met the poet

, whom she married, on January 23, 1907, without finishing her degree. In December of the same year the couple's son Richard was born. Through her marriage Jean Untermeyer came into contact with many

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

s and, especially inspired by hearing a reading of poems by

Edna St. Vincent Millay Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950) was an American lyrical poet and playwright. Millay was a renowned social figure and noted feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. She wrote much of he ...

, she began writing poetry privately."Jean Starr Untermeyer." The Poetry Foundation. www.poetryfoundation.org. Retrieved 2016-07-08. When her husband read her poems he was impressed by them and, on her behalf, submitted them to several magazines that accepted them for publication; with his support, her first book of poems, ''Growing Pains'', was published by

B. W. Huebsch Benjamin W. Huebsch (March 21, 1876 – August 7, 1964) was an American publisher in New York City in the early 20th century. Background Huebsch was the son of Rabbi Adolphus Huebsch, who had immigrated to the United States from Hungary in 1866 ...

in 1918.Jean Starr Unterrneyer Dead; Poet, Translator and Teacher
(July 29, 1970). ''New York Times''. Huebsch also published her next book, ''Dreams Out of Darkness'', in 1921. Early on Untermeyer aspired to be a singer, and in 1924 made her debut in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

singing Lieder. The performances were not well received, and she did not further pursue a musical career. She had traveled to Europe with her husband, and they then returned to the United States. They spent the summer of 1925 at the MacDowell artists' colony. The Untermeyers divorced in 1926. In 1927 their son, Richard, who was 19 years old and in his sophomore year at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, committed suicide in his room at school. Jean and Louis Untermeyer reconciled several years later and remarried after Louis had been married and divorced a second time. They adopted two sons; however, they eventually separated again, with Louis agreeing to take custody of their sons, and the marriage ended once and for all in divorce, around 1933."Louis Untermeyer Weds; Poet and Critic Marries Esther Antin, Toledo Lawyer" (August 13, 1933). ''New York Times''. Jean Starr Untermeyer continued to write poetry, publishing several further collections, including ''Winged Child'' (1936). Her poems are often traditional in form, with subtle, intricate harmonies; drawing inspiration from both nature and domestic life, they explore themes related to self-discipline and loss. She visited the MacDowell Colony again in 1938. In 1939, during a stay at

Yaddo Yaddo is an artists' community located on a estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its mission is "to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment.". On March ...

, the writers' and artists' colony in

Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...

, she met the German author

Hermann Broch Hermann Broch (; 1 November 1886 – 30 May 1951) was an Austrian writer, best known for two major works of modernist fiction: '' The Sleepwalkers'' (''Die Schlafwandler,'' 1930–32) and '' The Death of Virgil'' (''Der Tod des Vergil,'' 1945). ...

, with whom she struck up a complex collaboration, as she worked on translating Broch's novel ''Der Tod des Vergil''. Her translation, ''

The Death of Virgil ''The Death of Virgil'' (german: Der Tod des Vergil) is a 1945 novel by the Austrian author Hermann Broch. The narrative reenacts the last hours of life of the Roman poet Virgil, in the port of Brundisium (Brindisi), whence he had accompanied the ...

'', was published in 1945. Untermeyer later taught at

Olivet College Olivet College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Olivet, Michigan. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It was founded in 1844 by missionaries from Oberlin College, and it followed Oberlin in becom ...

, in Michigan, and at the New School for Social Research, in New York City.

Works

Poetry collections

* ''Growing Pains'' (1918) * ''Dreams Out of Darkness'' (1921) * ''Steep Ascent'' (1927) * ''The Winged Child'' (1936) * ''Love and Need: Collected Poems, 1918–1940'' (1940) * ''Later Poems'' (1958) * ''Job's Daughter'' (1967)

Memoir

* ''Private Collection'' (1965)

Translations

* Oscar Bie, ''Schubert, the Man'' (1928). Biography; translated from the German * Hermann Broch, ''The Death of Virgil'' (1945). Novel; translated from the German * ''Recreations'' (1970). Translations of poems from the French, German, and Hebrew

References

External links

Guide to the Papers of Jean Starr Untermeyer
State University of New York at Buffalo
Guide to the Papers of Jean Starr Untermeyer
Yale University {{DEFAULTSORT:Untermeyer, Jean Starr 1886 births 1970 deaths Olivet College faculty American people of German-Jewish descent American women poets Jewish American poets People from Zanesville, Ohio 20th-century American translators 20th-century American women writers The New School faculty