Poetry of Helen Frazee Bower

About

Helen Frazee-Bower was one of America's finest writers of verse in the early 20th century. She was born in California, the daughter of artist and writer Isaac Jenkinsen Frazee. She was the wife of musician William M. Bower and the mother of five. Besides being a prolific poet, author and storyteller, Helen taught in the Los Angeles City School System, was a well-known speaker and a Bible teacher.

In November, 1955, Helen's life was changed forever when she was carelessly struck by an automobile while using a crosswalk to cross a busy Los Angeles street. From that time until her death in June of 1960, she was paralyzed from her neck down, unable to use her arms or legs.

Her poetry continued, however, with the aid of her loving and devoted husband, to whom she dictated her work. A devout woman, her poems and stories have a deeply spiritual nature. Helen was quite fond of the "Shakespearean Sonnet" form, with much of her body of work adhering to the strict rules of ryhme and iambic pentameter. Her work has appeared in many religious publications, poetry magazines, as well as many of the popular mainstream magazines of the time such as Harper's Weekly, The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping and countless others.

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