Delmore Schwartz
A meteoric and tormented voice of mid-century American poetry, whose early brilliance captured the anxieties of modern intellect and identity.
1913–1966 (age 53)·American poet·Birthday: December 8·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Delmore Schwartz exploded onto the literary scene in his twenties, hailed as the great hope of American letters, only to see his promise consumed by paranoia and addiction. His 1938 debut story collection, 'In Dreams Begin Responsibilities,' was a sensation, its title story a masterpiece of familial tension and symbolic weight. As a poet, he wielded a formal, musical line to dissect the alienation of the urban Jewish intellectual, influencing a generation including his friend Saul Bellow and protégé Lou Reed. He became the youngest-ever recipient of the Bollingen Prize and a formidable, intimidating critic. But Schwartz's life was a downward spiral of mental illness and substance abuse, his later years marked by reclusiveness and erratic behavior. He died alone in a Manhattan hotel, a tragic figure whose early work, however, remains a piercing document of 20th-century consciousness.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Delmore was born in 1913, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Delmore Was Born
The biggest hits of 1913
Delmore's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1913Born
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Started school
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Became a teenager
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Could drive
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1931Could vote
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Turned 21
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1943Turned 30
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 40
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 50
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Died at 53
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
Key Achievements
- Published the landmark short story 'In Dreams Begin Responsibilities' in 1937 to immediate critical acclaim.
- Won the Bollingen Prize in 1960 for his poetry collection 'Summer Knowledge.'
- Served as the poetry editor of The Partisan Review and was a influential critic.
- His life and character were the basis for the title character in Saul Bellow's novel 'Humboldt's Gift.'
Did You Know?
He was a childhood friend of the philosopher William Barrett.
He taught at several universities, including Syracuse, where he taught a young Lou Reed.
He was the subject of a famous photograph by Henri Cartier-Bresson.
His work is heavily referenced in the songs of The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed.
“Time is the school in which we learn, time is the fire in which we burn.”
