Hilda Doolittle, who would later adopt the pen-name H.D., was a strong voice in the development of modernist Anglo-American poetry. Best known as an Imagist poet, H.D. also wrote epic poetry, novels, memoirs, and participated in avant-garde film.
H.D. was born into a Moravian community in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1886. Her mother, Helen (Wolle), was artistic and musical, while her father, Charles, was an astronomer who taught at Lehigh University. In 1896, Charles Doolittle was appointed the director of the Flower Observatory at the University of Pennsylvania and the Doolittles and their children – Hilda was the only girl among five boys – moved to the suburb of Upper Darby. These two phases of H.D.’s childhood would prove significant. In The Gift (written 1941-1942), H.D.
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Citation: Colby, Sasha. "H. D. (Hilda Doolittle)". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 May 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1924, accessed 25 November 2024.]
