Harriet Monroe

Harriet Monroe (1860-12-23 – 1936-09-26) was an American editor, scholar, literary critic, and patron of the arts. She is best known as founder and long time editor of Poetry magazine.

Monroe was the first editor at Poetry, when it was founded in 1912. From her position as editor, she was instrumental in the development of Modern Poetry, both as an early publisher and as a constant supporter of poets such as Ezra Pound, H. D., T. S. Eliot, William Carlos Williams, and others. Because of her bold, intelligent leadership, Poetry magazine became the most important journal of modern poetry.

Additionally, Monroe was a long time correspondent of the poets she supported, and her letters provide a wealth of information on the thoughts and motives of modernist poets.