Vachel Lindsay

Vachel Lindsay (1879-1931), American poet, born in Springfield, Illinois. He studied at Hiram College, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the New York School of Art. Lindsay advocated a close connection between poets and the public. In 1906 he went on a walking tour through the southern United States, earning board and lodging by reciting his poems; subsequently he made similar trips in other regions of the United States and lectured at the University of Oxford. Lindsay's verse is characterized by its lyric quality and its simple, forceful rhythms. His volumes of poetry include General William Booth Enters into Heaven and Other Poems (1913), The Congo and Other Poems (1914), The Chinese Nightingale and Other Poems (1917), and Every Soul Is a Circus (1929). His prose writings include the autobiographical Adventures While Preaching the Gospel of Beauty (1914) and A Handy Guide for Beggars (1916).