An American author of novels, journals, and essays, May Sarton saw herself as a poet first. From the 1930s on, when she published her first sonnets, till her death in 1995, she was a prolific writer who strove for universality and developed a keen interest in interpersonal relationships, the cycles of nature and their effect on artistic creativity, the merits and dangers of solitude, and, most importantly, the process and cultural perceptions of aging.

The only child of George Sarton, a historian of science, and Eleanor Mabel Elwes, a professional designer of furniture and textiles, Eléanore Marie Sarton was born in Wondelgem, Belgium in 1912. Fleeing the advancing Germans in WW 1, the family moved to Cambridge, …

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Citation: Henneberg, Sylvia. "May Sarton". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 February 2009 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3939, accessed 08 October 2024.]

3939 May Sarton 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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