Joyce Kilmer was born on December 6, 1886, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He was the son of Episcopalian minister Dr. Frederick Barnett Kilmer and Annie Ellen Kilburn Kilmer. He attended Rutgers College, where he wrote for the Targum, the university's newspaper, and was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. After graduating in 1908, Kilmer went on to study at Columbia University.
After completing his studies, Kilmer took up a position teaching Latin at Morristown High School in New Jersey. It was during this time that he began to seriously pursue his love of poetry, publishing his works in various magazines and journals.
In 1913, Kilmer achieved widespread recognition with the publication of his poem "Trees" in the magazine Poetry. The poem, which celebrates the beauty of nature, quickly became one of his most famous works and remains popular to this day. Kilmer went on to publish several collections of poetry, including Summer of Love and Main Street and Other Poems.
Kilmer married poet Aline Murray in 1908, and the couple went on to have five children together. Despite the demands of his growing family, Kilmer continued to write and publish poetry, drawing inspiration from his experiences as a husband and father.
When World War I broke out, Kilmer felt a sense of duty to serve his country. He enlisted in the 165th Infantry Regiment, also known as the "Fighting 69th," and served as a sergeant. Tragically, Kilmer was killed in action during the Second Battle of the Marne in France on July 30, 1918. He was just 31 years old.
Despite his untimely death, Joyce Kilmer's legacy as a poet lives on. His works continue to be read and appreciated by audiences around the world, and he is remembered as one of America's most beloved poets. Kilmer's simple yet profound style and his reverence for nature have solidified his place in the canon of American literature.
Today, Joyce Kilmer is commemorated in various ways, including the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in North Carolina, which was named in his honor. His poem "Trees" remains a timeless ode to the beauty and importance of the natural world, a fitting tribute to a poet who found inspiration in the simple wonders of the world around him.