Age, Biography and Wiki

May Swenson was born on 28 May, 1913 in Logan, Utah, is an American poet. Discover May Swenson's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is she in this year and how she spends money? Also learn how she earned most of networth at the age of 76 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation Poet and Playwright, Chancellor of Academy of American Poets
Age 76 years old
Zodiac Sign Gemini
Born 28 May, 1913
Birthday 28 May
Birthplace Logan, Utah
Date of death 4 December, 1989
Died Place Bethany Beach, Delaware
Nationality United States

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 28 May. She is a member of famous poet with the age 76 years old group.

May Swenson Height, Weight & Measurements

At 76 years old, May Swenson height not available right now. We will update May Swenson's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
Hair Color Not Available

Dating & Relationship status

She is currently single. She is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about She's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, She has no children.

Family
Parents Not Available
Husband Not Available
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

May Swenson Net Worth

Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is May Swenson worth at the age of 76 years old? May Swenson’s income source is mostly from being a successful poet. She is from United States. We have estimated May Swenson's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income poet

May Swenson Social Network

Instagram
Linkedin
Twitter
Facebook
Wikipedia
Imdb

Timeline

1913

Anna Thilda May "May" Swenson (May 28, 1913 – December 4, 1989) was an American poet and playwright.

Harold Bloom considered her one of the most important and original poets of the 20th century.

The first child of Margaret and Dan Arthur Swenson, she grew up as the eldest of 10 children in a Mormon household where Swedish was spoken regularly and English was a second language.

Although her conservative family struggled to accept the fact that she was a lesbian, they remained close throughout her life.

1934

Swenson attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah, graduating in the class of 1934 with a bachelor's degree.

She taught poetry as poet-in-residence at Bryn Mawr College, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the University of California, Riverside, Purdue University, and Utah State University.

1936

In 1936, Swenson worked as an editor and ghostwriter for a man called "Plat", who became her "boyfriend."

"I think I should like to have a son by Plat", she wrote in her diary, "but I would not like to be married to any man, but only be myself."

Her poems were published in Antaeus, The Atlantic Monthly, Carleton Miscellany, The Nation, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Saturday Review, Parnassus and Poetry.

Her poem Question was also published in Stephenie Meyer's book The Host.

She received much recognition for her work.

Some of which include:

1959

From 1959 to 1966 she worked as a manuscript reviewer at New Directions Publishing.

1966

Swenson left New Directions Press in 1966 in an effort to focus completely on her own writing.

1970

Much of her later poetry works were devoted to children (e.g. the collection Iconographs, 1970).

She also translated the work of contemporary Swedish poets, including the selected poems of Nobel laureate Tomas Tranströmer.

Swenson created poems in "iconograph" style, first published in her 1970 book Iconographs, in which Swenson shaped lines of her poetry to create images relating to the poem's content.

Her work "The Lowering", for instance, a memorial poem for Robert F. Kennedy, explored the late Kennedy's military funeral, with lines arranged in the shape of a folded flag.

Swenson is known for her heavy use of natural imagery, mixed with religious and philosophical themes.

Her poem "By Morning", which was published in The New Yorker compares a snowfall to the biblical fall of manna.

Swenson's sense of imagery also lends itself to erotic poems, as she describes human bodies, breasts and limbs and the "pelvic heave of mountains."

Author Jean Gould describes Swenson's work as "sensual as well as sexual."

Washington University in St. Louis houses most of Swenson's documents and original manuscripts.

This is the primary location for all scholarly materials on Swenson.

Utah State University also has two collections of her work, and an addendum in their Special Collections and Archives.

The University has created the "May Swenson Project."

Supported by students and teachers, it has publicized Swenson's work at USU, as well as her influence across the nation.

In her name, USU has dedicated a May Swenson room in the English Department and another in the USU Merrill-Cazier Library.

Funds are being sought to establish an endowed chair in Swenson's name.

The May Swenson Poetry Award, sponsored by Utah State University Press, is a competitive prize granted annually to an outstanding collection of poetry in English.

Open to published and unpublished writers, with no limitation on subject, the competition honors May Swenson as one of America's most vital and provocative poets of the twentieth century.

Judges for the competition have included Mary Oliver, Maxine Kumin, John Hollander, Mark Doty, Alice Quinn, Harold Bloom, Garrison Keillor, Edward Field and others from the first tier of American letters.

Digitized selected works by and about Swenson: May Swenson Addendum (Selected items)

1980

She also served as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets from 1980 until her death in 1989.

She is buried in the Logan City Cemetery, and her grave is marked by a granite bench on which is etched some of her poetry.

For the last twenty years of her life, she lived in Sea Cliff, New York.