The Poets of Maine is an 1888 “who’s who” of poems by Maine authors. Each listing includes a brief biography of the poet and several short poems. The volume is particularly interesting in that it highlights quite a few female poets, including Mary J. Cummings, born in Bowdoinham in 1838. Mary J. Cummings’ poems Summer-Time and Glamour evoke longing and use beautiful, illustrative language to bring you along with her. Her poems almost feel like 19th Century Taylor Swift lyrics that envelope you in firefly wings, perfumed summer air, and flashing diamonds. To hear more about Mary J. Cummings’ famous pen name and read more of Summer-Time, register for our History Room Live: The Poetry of Maine on April 15 at 3:00 PM.
