author
Edmund Vance Cooke
1866–1932
Remembered for the stirring poem "How Did You Die?", this Canadian-born writer built a wide audience with warm, encouraging verse and lively public readings. His work often mixed plainspoken wisdom with a strong sense of heart and resilience.
1 Audiobook
Impertinent Poems
by Edmund Vance Cooke
About the author
Born in Port Dover, Canada West, on June 5, 1866, Edmund Vance Cooke became a popular poet whose work reached readers on both sides of the border. He is especially associated with inspirational poetry and was widely admired for writing that felt accessible, direct, and memorable.
Before making his name as a writer and lecturer, he worked for years at the White Sewing Machine Company. He later turned fully to literary work, publishing books of verse and building a career through public readings. In 1898 he married Lilith Castleberry, and together they had five children.
Cooke is still best remembered for "How Did You Die?" and for the upbeat, encouraging tone that runs through much of his poetry. He was also among the early poets to bring their work to a broadcast audience, reading on radio station WWJ in Detroit before his death in Cleveland on December 18, 1932.