Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-12
News Received by Brother
Here Tells of Passing of
Noted Lyric Singer of
South
BY JOHN MARSH

BY JOHN MARSH
Robert Loveman, lyric poet, died
early Tuesday morning. The Geor-
gia poet, who was most widely
known for his April Rain" song,
died as he had lived with the fine
sensibilities Of one with a soul of a
true poet. Grief for his mother who
died two years ago is said by rela-
tives TO have broken his health. and
since.
His death, however, was unexpect-
ed, as it was not known that his
condition was serious, News was
received in Atlanta Tuesday by tele-
gram that his death had occurred
at Hot Springs, Ark, where he had
spent the last several months, and
that the body would be brought back
TO his home at Dalton, Ga, for
burial. The funeral will be held
Wednesday, according to B. A. Love
man, of the Cecil hotel, a brother,
who received the first news in At
| lanta of the death of the noted poet.
Robert Loveman lived at Dalton,
virtually IN retirement. He was I'M
| married and had few intimate
friends, so that when his mother
died he was left almost alone in the
world, especially as the death of a
beloved sister, Mrs. Louis Crawford,
also of Dalton, preceded that of his
mother by only a short time. The
loss of these two was a blow from
which he never recovered. He was
in Atlanta for the last time in No
vember, and at that time showed
the effects of his grief.
In addition to his brother in At
lanta, he is survived by two broth
ers, Morris LoVeman, OF Birming-
ham, and Louis Loveman, of Gads-
den, Ala, and a sister, Mrs. l.. B.
Friedman, OF Tuscaloosa, Ala.
A minor" Poet
Robert LoVeman was one of the
minor poets" but he was possessed
of lyric note which at times held
the singing quality of Shelley and
Of Keats.
He was spoken of as second only
to Sidney Lanier among the poets
the south has produced. He was a
romanticist and singer and there
are in the world of many verse
makers but few singers. At Least
one of his lyrics has a permanent
place in the hearts of the reople
wherever the English language is
known.
Robert Loveman was born in
Cleveland, O.. but nearly his entire
life was lived in Dalton, Ga. He
was fifty-nIne years old at the time
of his death, and had written stead
lily from his youth until the death
of his mother. If he has written
anything since then. it has not
been published, according to Mrs.
LeVeman.
The events of his life were few.
according to the standard which
marks ordinary events. who's
was born in Cleveland, the son of
David r. and Esther Black Love
man. that he was educated at the
Dalton academy and the University
of Alabama, that he travelled and
studied abroad, that he was fire.
quent contributor to high class pub
LEGATIONS and had published Il dozen
books Of poems between 1889 and
1917.
Events to him were the delicate
pastel tints in the soft sky of a
summer morning, the birth Of flow
ers in spring, the songs of birds,
and the sound of the wind in the
woodlands he loved so we'll and the
spirit of which he caught in the
words in his poems.
LOVeman and Burroughs
OF him, John Burroughs wrote in
letter to the poet, "If l write up
'Wintering in Georgia. I shall put
you in among the song birds" The
two were great friends. the good
gray naturalist and the poet of
nature. Loveman was one Of the
few southerners with whom Bur-
roughs kept up a regular CORE
spondence until the Tina Of his
death, and when ne died one Of
Loveman's poems, The Gates of
Silence" was by request read at his
funeral.
Burroughs wrote just after this
poem and others had been publish
ed under the name of Gates of
Silence" mo book of poems has
come to me for many years that has
moved me as your Gates Of Silence.
[ have re-read it six times and each
tifle Will HeW plcdSufS anu HtfO-
ton. It puts YOU we'll up c.Aong the
American poets. In fa2r. the
volume is worthy Of any American
poet living Or dead. 1t has the large
vision and the fearlessnass which
only the true bards have. send
You my hearty congratulations"
His most famous lyric, April
Rain" is one which every school
child knows in every English. speak
ing nation.
Not only did It appear in the
school, books OF the nation but it
was given a musical setting by Mrs.
Josephine Lambdin Kay. of Atlanta,
and appeared on many concert pro-
grams. Mr.. Loveman. himself, de-
clared the Atlanta musicians score
a perfect Interpretation of the
verses.
The Harper Letter
It was nearly twenty years ago
that Robert Loveman received a let
ter from the editor Of Harper's Maya
zine, which said:
I'VE literally stopped the presses