“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree” is the opening line of a poem by Joyce Kilmer. There are several surprises hidden in both the poem and the poet’s life.
First, many, if not most people, believe Joyce was a woman, but his full name was Alfred Joyce Kilmer. He was born in 1886 and died in 1918 at 31 years of age, the husband of one woman and the father of five children.
He enlisted to fight in World War I with a contract to write a book about his experiences, but he was killed on a French battlefield before he could begin the work. And if you really like trivia, his father worked for Proctor and Gamble and invented their now famous baby powder!
PLEASE LOG IN FOR PREMIUM CONTENT. Our website requires visitors to log in to view the best local news.
Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe today!
