Discovering Early LDS Poetry And The Female Poets That Wrote It

By Rachael Gutierrez


Through the ages there has been many female Mormon poets that put their heartfelt feelings into memorable prose. They did it by integrating their feelings into some of the memorable LDS poetry which is available to reflect on and read today. Several of these early lady poets continue drawing positive attention from adults, parents, business people and students. Most of the ideas they used are simple everyday thoughts that most people can easily relate to.

Around 1850 Sarah Carmichael traveled to the salt lake valley with her family and a few close friends. Her talent grew even though the school system there would be considered poor by today's standard. The salt lake paper published over 50 of her poems from 1850 to 1860. Her broad appeal was from her ability to incorporate ideas like friendship, love and personal integrity in simple down to earth ways.

Around 1866 her friends and family helped her to publish a small printing containing 26 of her favorite poems. Shortly there after she married a surgeon in the army. Tragically a short time later she started to slip into a state of dementia. She passed on in mid 1901 peacefully while sleeping and is remembered for the poem April Flowers.

Around 1841 March 10th a niece to Joseph Smith was born. Her parents called her Josephine Donna Smith, she would change her name later to Ina Coolbrith. She traveled to California around 1852 and there published her first poems a few years later in the famous Los Angeles Times. When she turned 17 she married briefly and lost her first born child.

Around the 1860's she decided to move to the San Francisco area where she got a job as a journalist for the Overland Monthly. She later became a librarian for several notable libraries including the Oakland public library. She passed in 1928 while sharing a home with her niece. Her simple lyric poems were praised by many famous authors of the time including her close friend Mark Twain.

Born late in1844, Augusta Crocheron was born to the Mormon religion. Shortly after her second birthday her parents auctioned their belongings and sailed to California from New York with Samuel Brannan. The trip lasted roughly 6 months before they safely arrived at San Francisco. It was then they realized the harsh living conditions and widespread poverty because of the lengthy war with Mexico.

The 1949 gold rush brought prosperity and later her parents divorced because of her fathers drinking. In 1868 her mom remarried and settled in Utah. Augusta became a 2nd wife to George Cocheron till she died in 1915. Drawing on her hardships and traumatic life and her poems speak of hope and the encouragement that everybody has a purpose.

Historical female literary figures often get overlooked or are over shadowed by whatever is the flavor of the day. Because of the many hardships they experienced LDS poetry is blessed with many female authors. While they are gone they are not forgotten, you have only to go down to your local library to find any number of books about them.




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