Moody, William Vaughn

Moody, William Vaughn

▪ American writer
born July 8, 1869, Spencer, Ind., U.S.
died Oct. 17, 1910, Colorado Springs, Colo.

      American poet and playwright whose mystical and dignified work was considered a sign of unfulfilled promise upon his early death.

      After he graduated from Harvard University (1893), Moody was an instructor of English at Harvard and then at the University of Chicago. Though he was considered an inspiring teacher, Moody disliked his job; he spent several years of his university association working elsewhere on the Cambridge edition of the works of John Milton. The publication in 1902 of a textbook that he coauthored enabled Moody to pursue the writing career that he preferred.

      Moody's early poems, such as “Good Friday Night” (1898), are thought to be beautiful and noble, as are his poetic plays, including The Masque of Judgment (1900) and The Fire-Bringer (1904), from an uncompleted trilogy on the unity of God and man. He abruptly changed his style with his most popular work, The Great Divide (1906), a prose play about conflict between eastern U.S. puritanism and the individualism of the western frontier. Although Moody tended to overembellish, this new phase of his career marked him as one of the most promising writers of his day. He died soon after this turning point, at age 41, of a brain tumour.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Moody, William Vaughn — (1869 1910)    Born in Spencer, Indiana, William Vaughn Moody attended Harvard University. He taught there for a time, and also at the University of Chicago. Moody made his mark initially as author of A History of English Literature (1902) and… …   The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater

  • Moody, William Vaughn —    см. Мууди, Уильям Воэн …   Писатели США. Краткие творческие биографии

  • William Vaughn Moody — (July 8 1869 – October 17 1910) was a U.S. dramatist and poet. Author of The Great Divide , first presented under the title of The Sabine Woman at the Garrick Theatre in Chicago on April 12 1906. Moody s poetic dramas included The Masque of… …   Wikipedia

  • Moody (surname) — Moody is an English surname. It ranks in the top 200 most common surnames in English speaking nations. It is most commonly acknowledged as being of English origin. The earliest known example dates from the 12th century in a Devonshire early… …   Wikipedia

  • Moody — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Anne Moody (* 1940), US amerikanische Bürgerrechtlerin Ben Moody (* 1981), US amerikanischer Gitarrist und Produzent Blair Moody (1902–1954), US amerikanischer Politiker Bryan Moody (* 1972), kanadischer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • William Moody — is the name of more than one notable individual:*William Alvin Moody (b. 1954), professional wrestling manager also known by his ring name Paul Bearer *William Henry Moody (1853–1917), U.S. Supreme Court Justice, U.S. Attorney General and U.S.… …   Wikipedia

  • Moody —   [ muːdɪ], William Vaughn, amerikanischer Schriftsteller, * Spencer (Indiana) 8. 7. 1869, ✝ Colorado Springs (Colorado) 17. 10. 1910; studierte an der Harvard University und lehrte dort sowie an der University of Chicago. Seine Gedichte und… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Moody — [mo͞o′dē] 1. Dwight Lyman [lī′mən] 1837 99; U.S. Christian evangelist 2. William Vaughn 1869 1910; U.S. poet & playwright …   English World dictionary

  • Moody — /mooh dee/, n. 1. Dwight Lyman /luy meuhn/, 1837 99, U.S. evangelist. 2. Helen Wills. See Wills, Helen Newington. 3. William Vaughn /vawn/, 1869 1910, U.S. poet and playwright. * * * (as used in expressions) Moody Dwight Lyman Helen Newington… …   Universalium

  • American literature — Introduction       the body of written works produced in the English language in the United States.       Like other national literatures, American literature was shaped by the history of the country that produced it. For almost a century and a… …   Universalium

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