Richard Hovey, Ernest Crosby, and Stephen Crane had also been writing free verse after Whitman before the year 1900. About 1912 an impetus was given to free verse by the poets of the new poetic era which set in and which untermeyer calls the New Era in American Poetry.
"The Literature of Ecstasy"
Albert Mordell
Nearly all of our modern free verse poets are admittedly indebted to Whitman; Louis untermeyer names Whitman as the leading influence on modern American poetry.
"The Literature of Ecstasy"
Albert Mordell
When untermeyer published his book on poetry he was much criticized for the prominence he gave to James Oppenheim and Arthur Giovanitti, who are excellent poets.
"The Literature of Ecstasy"
Albert Mordell
