Martina Swafford

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Martina Swafford
"A Woman of the Century"
"A Woman of the Century"
BornMarthena Funkhouser
July 26, 1845
Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.
DiedJune 29, 1913(1913-06-29) (aged 67)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Resting placeHighland Lawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Indiana
Pen nameBelle Bremer
Occupationpoet
LanguageEnglish
NationalityAmerican
Notable worksWych-elm, poems
Spouse
Benjamin Franklin Swafford
​
​
(m. 1862; died 1900)​

Martina Swafford (née, Funkhouser; pen name, Belle Bremer; July 26, 1845 – June 29, 1913) was an American poet. Widely known by her pen-name, "Belle Bremer", her vision was greatly impaired, so much so that much of the time she was unable to read or write. Swafford was a native of Indiana, and by education, environment, and primary attachments, she was an Indiana poet. Yet she called herself semi-Southern, because of her Virginian parentage and her own yearly temporary home in the South. She spent her winters at Huntsville, Alabama, a noted health resort of the time, where much of her poetical work was done. It was said that the cheerful, hopeful tone of these poems, made more effective by an underlying pathos, was a pleasing contrast to the melancholy which marred the work of so many versemakers of the time.[1] Swafford died in 1913.

Early life[]

Marthena Funkhouser (nickname, "Aunt Mat") was born near Terre Haute, Indiana, on July 26, 1845.[2][3][4]

Her parents, John G. Funkhouser and Mary E "Polly" Martin, were Virginians. Her father, of German ancestry, was a large farmer of Vigo County, Indiana.[5] Her mother was of English descent.[6] Each year she spent part of her time in the South, generally passing the winters in Huntsville. She was reared in Terre Haute, and received a liberal education, which she supplemented by extensive reading and study.[7][3]

Swafford was troubled by an optical weakness, which at times made her unable to read or write, and her health was delicate. At an early age, her poetical productions were ranked with the foremost of the rising authors of the Wabash Valley.[7]

Career[]

Letters, a poetic quote

I have brought them from their hiding,
Where they've lain these many years,
And have tried to read them over,
But I acnnot for the tears.[8]

Her first literary work was stories for the Philadelphia "Saturday Evening Post." She became a contributor to "Peterson's Magazine" and other periodicals, and her poems were extensively read and copied. The Atlanta "Constitution" introduced her to its extended southern constituency, and some of her best work appeared in that journal. Much of her work was done during her winter residence in Huntsville. In poetry, she belongs to the romantic rather than to the aesthetic school, though her verse was characterized by melody and a noticeable artistic treatment. Her muse was preëminently heroic and ideal, as her subjects generally indicated. She wrote of "The Norse King," "The Haunted Battlefield," "The Hesperides," "When My Ship Comes In," and other like matters, which appealed to the imagination of the reader. Among her most warmly-esteemed Southern literary friends was Henry W. Grady.[1] She published one volume of poems, entitled Wych Elm (Buffalo, 1891).[7][3][9]

Swafford was a charter member of the Western Association of Writers.[2][10][9]

Personal life[]

On May 8, 1862, she married Dr. Benjamin Franklin Swafford (died 1900), a prominent physician in Terre Haute.[2][1][11] Her home was a social and literary center, and her time was devoted to good works and literature.[7] She died June 29, 1913, in Indianapolis, and she was buried at Highland Lawn Cemetery in Terre Haute.[10][4]

Selected works[]

  • Wych-elm, poems, 1891

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Hills 1891, p. 160.
  2. ^ a b c Wabash College 1949, p. 310.
  3. ^ a b c Moulton 1895, p. 459.
  4. ^ a b Zeutenhorst 1973, p. 17.
  5. ^ Western Biographical Publishing Company 1880, p. 47.
  6. ^ Moulton 1891, p. 217.
  7. ^ a b c d Willard & Livermore 1893, p. 701.
  8. ^ Herringshaw 1892, p. 144.
  9. ^ a b Parker & Heiney 1900, p. 384.
  10. ^ a b "Marthena Swafford dies. (30 Jun 1913)". The Indianapolis News. 30 June 1913. p. 18. Retrieved 7 October 2017 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  11. ^ Indiana Medical Journal Publishing Co. 1901, p. 318.

Attribution[]

Bibliography[]

External links[]

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