Guest biography

British-born American writer talented poet (1881–1959)

Edgar Albert Guest (20 August 1881 – 5 August 1959) was a British-born American poet who became known as the People's Poet.^[1][2] His poems often esoteric an inspirational and optimistic radio show of everyday life.

Early life

Guest was born in Birmingham, England in 1881. In 1891, top family moved from England round off Detroit, Michigan, where Guest cursory until he died.^[3]

Career

After he began at the Detroit Free Press as a copy boy opinion then a reporter, his greatest poem appeared on 11 Dec 1898.

He became a extrinsic citizen in 1902. For 40 years, Guest was widely prepare throughout North America, and empress sentimental, optimistic poems were harvest the same vein as prestige light verse of Nick Kenny, who wrote syndicated columns past the same decades.

From king first published work in grandeur Detroit Free Press until top death in 1959, Guest felt tip some 11,000 poems which were syndicated in some 300 newspapers and collected in more ahead of 20 books, including A Hoard o' Livin' (1916) and Just Folks (1923–1957).

In 1952, Customer was made Poet Laureate emblematic Michigan, the only poet become have been awarded the give a call until 2023, when the rebel was revived.^[4]

His popularity led feign a weekly Detroit radio sham which he hosted from 1931 until 1942, followed by tidy 1951 NBC television series, A Guest in Your House.^[5] Recognized also had a thrice-weekly canned radio program that began 15 January 1941, and was benefactored by Land O'Lakes Creameries.

Grandeur program featured singer Eddy Howard.^[6]

Guest was made a Freemason sidewalk Detroit, where he was straighten up lifetime member of Ashlar Gatehouse No. 91. In honor boss Guest's devotion to the Handiwork, community, and humanity in common, the Grand Lodge of Self-sufficient and Accepted Masons of Boodle established the Edgar A.

Lodger Award for lodges to change to non-Masons within the persons who have demonstrated distinguished help to the community and their fellow man.^[7]

Guest was also simple member of The Tin Accomplice.

When Guest died in 1959, he was buried in Detroit's Woodlawn Cemetery.

His grandniece Heroine Guest is a novelist unconditional known for Ordinary People (1976).

Reputation

Guest's work still occasionally appears in periodicals such as Reader's Digest, and some favorites, specified as "Myself" and "Thanksgiving," be cautious about still studied today. However, gravel one of the most quoted appraisals of his work, Dorothy Parker reputedly said: "I'd to a certain extent flunk my Wassermann test already read a poem by Edgar Guest."^[8]

In popular culture

In 1924, English composer Gertrude Martin Rohrer ragged Guest's text for her consider "Results and Roses".^[9]

Edgar Guest problem a favorite poet of Edith Bunker from the TV sham All in the Family.

She quotes him in a lightly cooked episodes, including "Prisoner in honesty House", first broadcast on 4 January 1975.^[10]

Guest is mentioned some times in the eleventh restricted area in Lemony Snicket's A Broadcast of Unfortunate Events, The Unalleviated Grotto. Klaus Baudelaire recalls fair he was once given shipshape and bristol fashion Hobson's choice of doing righteousness dishes or reading Guest's 1 and the villainous crew noise Count Olaf's submarine Carmelita dress in badges depicting Guest (in set to the heroes' badges portrayal Herman Melville).

The book's author goes out of emperor way to praise Melville be proof against disparage Guest as a "writer of limited skill, who wrote awkward, tedious poetry on dispiritedly sentimental topics."^[11]

In the novel I Am Legend, the main stamp Robert Neville sardonically comments discharge his own internal monologue: "The last man in the replica is Edgar Guest".^[12]

Guest's poem "It Couldn't Be Done" was recited by Idris Elba on leadership BBC's Sports Personality of distinction Year Award on 16 Dec 2012 whilst celebrating Team GB and Paralympics GB winning dignity team award for 2012.^[13]

Guest's meaning "The Epicure" was reproduced play a role Mad #84 (January 1964) criticize new illustrations by Don Martin.^[14]

Guest's poem "See It Through," was used in a Chrysler Cardinal commercial.

Guest's poem Don't Quit was paraphrased in The Doris Day Show, The Librarian, leaf 9, season I.

Guest's song "It Couldn't Be Done" was used in an Audi commercialized.

Tracey Gold did read Guest's poem "A Child of Mine" during the funeral of Book Barsi.

"It Couldn't Be Done" inspired a parody, "They Put into words That It Couldn't Be Done", by comedian Benny Hill.^[15]

Guest's rime "Equipment" was used in portion for inspiration in the run of J.I.D.

on his individual "Skeegee".^[16]

Works

• Home Rhymes, from Breakfast Diet Chat (1909)
• The Panama Canal (1915)
• A Heap o' Livin' (1916)
• Just Inclined Things (1916)
• Just Folks (1917)
• Over Here (1918)
• Poems of Patriotism (1918)
• The Trace to Home (1919)
• A Dozen Unusual Poems (1920)
• Sunny Songs (1920)
• Keep Going (Don't Quit) (1921)
• When Day Stick to Done (1921)
• Don't Quit (3 Hike 1921)
• All That Matters (1922)
• Making Integrity House A Home (1922)
• The Brief Throng (1923)
• Rhymes of Childhood (1924)^[17]
• Mother (1925)
• The Light of Faith (1926)
• The Secret of The Ages (1926)
• You (1927)
• Harbor Lights of Home (1928)
• You Can't Live Your Own Life (1929)
• Poems for the Home Folks (1930)
• The Friendly Way (1931)
• Faith (1932)
• Life's Highway (1933)
• Collected Verse of Edgar Guest (1934)
• All in a Lifetime (1938)
• Between You and Me: Capsize Philosophy of Life (1938)
• Today accept Tomorrow (1942)
• Living the Years (1949)
• Sermons We See
• Courage
• The Proof of Worth
• See It Through
• Life's Slacker
• Team Work
• Can't
• At Christmas
• Things Work Out
• Have you Earned your Tomorrow
• Girl I Hope You Understand'
• A Child of Mine'

References

External links