Herself Defined: H. D. and Her World

by Barbara Guest

The definitive biography of Hilda Doolittle (aka H.D.), the Imagist poet whose work redefined the course of women's writing throughout the twentieth century. A woman of great beauty, H.D. enthralled the literary worlds of London and Paris and counted among her intimates such figures as Ezra Pound--to whom she was briefly engaged--William Carlos Williams, Marianne Moore and D.H. Lawrence. Herself Defined not only helps to define this enigmatic force in modern literature and poetry, but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the heart and mind of an artist in her creative yet tormented search for self.

Genres: Biography, Poetry, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Literature

360 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Barbara Guest, née Barbara Ann Pinson (September 6, 1920 – February 15, 2006), was an American poet and prose stylist. Guest first gained recognition as a member of the first generation New York School of poetry.[1] Guest wrote more than 15 books of poetry spanning sixty years of writing. In 1999, she was awarded the Frost Medal for Lifetime Achievement by the Poetry Society of America. Guest also wrote art criticism, essays, and plays. Her collages appeared on the covers of several of her books of poetry. She was also well known for her biography of the poet H.D., Herself Defined: The Poet H.D. and Her World (1984).

Reviews

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Later Freud made her stand beside him and told her he was nearly as tall as she. She confessed that she may have been disappointed he was not a giant, as being taller made her grown up; in dreams she was always a child.



*

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Guest's biography is well-researched and generally very coherent, which I admire, since H.D.'s world was very complicated--many poems, novels, memoirs, and essays written; many lovers and friends; many travels in Europe and the United States; many diverseinterests such as Greek and Egyptian mythology, psychoanalysis, numerology, spiritualism, tarot, ESP, astrology, and so forth. I did miss a particular sensitivity to H.D.'s inner psychology and emotional life. In that way, the book was oddly flat, since H.D. herself was exquisitely sensitive to her inner thoughts and feelings. Finally, I wish there was more on Freud. H.D.'s an interesting person, but she tries my patience with her self-absorption, aesthetic preciousness, and apolitical approach to life. It's her relationship to Freud, frankly, that sparked my interest in her life.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm chagrined at withholding that fifth star, but there you have it. I started out loving this, and certainly the bits of gossip throughout are terrfic (like W.C. Williams liking women who like the "hearth" (domestic) and being so complicated. The section on Freud is also fresh. Their conversations jump off the page--probably because H.D. wrote so much about her time with him. My only problem and it's probably mine is that I could put it down. I started out thinking I'd be finished in a few days, and I'd lose interest. All opinions are personal. This is a good book. Much is made of H.D.'s height.

[Richard Subber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Herself Defined is a deliberately candid, dense, admiring and unselfconsciously florid biography of the Imagist poet, Hilda “H. D.” Doolittle (1886-1961). It seems like Barbara Guest fully expresses the jumbled lifestyle of the American expatriates who crowded into Europe in the first half of the 20th century.

I confess that Hilda and her friends were more interesting to themselves than they are to me. I am not visibly quivering in anticipation of reading the whole book.

Read more of my book reviews and poems here:
www.richardsubber.com

[Maura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well researched, but I found it to be a boring read. A disorganized narrative. I much preferred "Now All Roads Lead to France", the biography of Edward Thomas.

[John Blee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very unfortunate book in that Barbara Guest became upset over the effort it took to produce the book and began to dislike H.D. as a result. Some have felt it's more a portrait of Bryher than H.D. In fact Guest was given a contract to write a biography of Bryher but did not write it because she said, "It would kill me."
Every uncharitable story about H.D. is put forth without balance. Also I know from Hilda Morley who gave Guest material favorable to H.D. that Guest did not print it.
Guest might well have envied H.D.'s poetry as well, not a happy situation for a biographer! Lots of detail, very little insight. Guest does not really take up H.D.'s work. Isn't that what a book about a poet should include?

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm skeptical of any biographer that feels the need to include so many exclamation points. Interesting details throughout, but the method of documentation (bibliography of sources rather than foot- or endnotes) is problematic, as is Guest's interpretation of every H.D. prose piece as fully autobiographical. Guest seems to have come to dislike Bryher, as she is much more uncharitable toward her at the end of the biography than the beginning (although Bryher certainly earned some of that criticism). Overall, the biography feels unbalanced.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers who know something about literary movements of the early 20th century will enjoy this recreation of H. D.'s world. I was a bit disappointed that I learned less about her poetry than her relationships with other poets. Additionally, I just couldn't muster up a lot of sympathy for H. D. As portrayed here, she was beautiful, brilliant and dazzling, but self-absorbed and manipulative. I hoped to better understand what made her tick, but it was if Hilda Doolittle was totally obscured by the personae H. D.

[Nathanial · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exclamation points! In a biography! Astounding!

besides the biographical intrigue, guest offers technical critiques of how h.d. perceived her own method. although g. makes clear that she does not intend this book as a piece of literary criticism, she does take the time to say that, while h.d. had derided w.c. williams for 'slaving' over a poem, insisting that it should 'burst from [him] like song,' h.d. herself would go on to become meticulous in her own craft.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

little known details throughout.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all poetry lovers. A wonderfully detailed biography of one of the most fascinating women ever.