Lizette Woodworth Reese

Lizette Woodworth Reese was an American poet who lived from 1856 to 1935 and spent most of her life in Baltimore, Maryland. She worked as a schoolteacher for many years at Western High School in Baltimore, while also producing a substantial body of poetry. Her poems frequently focus on nature, especially the gardens and landscapes around her native city, as well as themes of memory, love, and grief. She was particularly skilled in traditional verse forms, especially the sonnet, and her work is known for its vivid imagery and emotional restraint. Reese published several poetry collections, including A Branch of May, A Handful of Lavender, and Wild Cherry. Her poetry gained recognition among her contemporaries, and she was considered one of the notable poets of the American South during her lifetime. Although her reputation declined after her death, she remains an important figure in the history of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American poetry.