Gladys Cromwell

Gladys Cromwell (November 28, 1885 – January 19, 1919) was an American poet and Red Cross volunteer during World War I. Known for her introspective and melancholic poetry, Cromwell published works in prominent literary magazines and released a volume of poems titled The Gates of Utterance and Other Poems in 1915.

Her service in the Red Cross alongside her twin sister, Dorothea, exposed her to the harrowing realities of war, which profoundly affected her mental health. The sisters died by suicide while returning to the United States in 1919.

Posthumously, Cromwell's poetry was celebrated, earning her the Poetry Society of America's prize in 1920, and her contributions to literature and war service are considered a poignant reflection of her era.

Biography

Early life Gladys Louise Husted Cromwell was born on November 28, 1885, in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents, Frederick Cromwell, a trustee of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, and Esther Whitmore Husted, were prominent members of New York society. Through her father Cromwell was a direct descendant of Oliver Cromwell. together with Anne Dunn (an old teacher from her Brearley days)

The sisters debuted into New York society in 1906 at the age of twenty-three. Though considered rather shy, Cromwell and her sister did indeed partake in social affairs and were members of the social club Ladies' Four-in-Hand Club (a counter-part of the male members only Coaching Club)

Literary pursuits

Cromwell began writing poetry at a young age. Among Cromwells earliest work is the one-act play "Our Lady’s Tumbler" based on a 13th century poem of the same name. Its the story of a tumbler who becomes a monk but not knowing latin or the liturgy has no other way of praising the Virgin Mary apart from tumbling in front of her statue.

Though writing poetry was seen as suitable occupation for a woman of Cromwells class and , her family was initially reluctant to her publishing her work, viewing it as an intrusion on their privacy. Despite this, Cromwell managed to publish several poems in magazines such as Harper's Magazine, Poetry and The New Republic under the pseudonym Helen Jaffreys

World War I and death The entry of the United States into World War I in April 1917 significantly impacted Gladys Cromwell's life and career. In January 1918, she and her twin sister, Dorothea, joined the American Red Cross. Group of ARC workers at a Red Cross canteen, ARC Hospitals Nos. 6 & 7, Souilly, Meuse, France, October 13, 1918: Gladys Cromwell is second from left; Dorothy Cromwell on the far right

The sisters were deployed to France, where they served as canteen workers in Chalons-sur-Marne and later at evacuation hospitals.

A memorial service for the sisters was held on February 5, 1919, at St. Bartholomew's Church in Manhattan. Their bodies were recovered three months later and were buried in France with full military honors.

Posthumous recognition In recognition of their service, the French government posthumously awarded them the Croix de Guerre and the Médaille de Reconnaissance française. A second volume of her poetry, Poems (1919), was published posthumously, comprising works from her earlier book as well as previously unpublished poems. Poems shared the 1920 prize from the Poetry Society of America with John G. Neihardt's The Song of Three Friends. Her poetry, characterized by a melancholic and introspective tone, reflected both the personal and collective traumas of her time.

Despite her early death, Cromwell's work was well-received during her lifetime, with contemporary critics praising her lyrical quality. In a review of her first book in the New Republic, Padraic Colum referred to her as "a younger sister of the great poets."