born Nov. 10, 1879, Springfield, Ill., U.S.
died Dec. 5, 1931, Springfield
U.S. poet.
In his youth, he began traveling the country reciting his poems in return for food and shelter, in an attempt to revive poetry as an oral art form of the common people. He first received widespread recognition for "General William Booth Enters into Heaven" (1913), about the founder of the Salvation Army. His works are full of powerful rhythms, vivid imagery, and bold rhymes and express an ardent patriotism, a passion for progressive democracy, and a romantic view of nature. His collections include Rhymes to Be Traded for Bread (1912), The Congo (1914), and The Chinese Nightingale (1917). He was responsible for discovering the work of Langston Hughes . Depressed and unstable in later years, he committed suicide by drinking poison.