Elinor Wylie

Elinor Wylie was an American poet and novelist active primarily in the 1920s. She published several collections of poetry, including Nets to Catch the Wind (1921), Black Armour (1923), and Trivial Breath (1928), as well as novels such as Jennifer Lorn and The Orphan Angel. Her poetry is characterized by meticulous craftsmanship, frequently employing traditional forms such as the sonnet and villanelle. Thematically, her verse often explores romantic love, beauty, mortality, and the transience of life, favoring crystalline imagery and a refined, sometimes austere tone. She is regarded as a significant figure in early twentieth-century American poetry, associated with a tradition of formal lyricism that coexisted with modernism. In addition to her creative work, Wylie served as poetry editor of Vanity Fair, a role that placed her within the literary circles of her era.