British family of writers. Edith Sitwell (1887 – 1964) attracted attention when she joined her brothers in a revolt against
Georgian poetry. Her early work, which emphasizes the value of sound, includes
Clowns' Houses (1918) and
Façade (1923), set to music by
William Walton. Beginning with
Gold Coast Customs (1929), her style became less artificial and experimental, and during World War II she emerged as a poet of some emotional depth. Her later poetry is informed by religious symbolism, as in
Gardeners and Astronomers (1953) and
The Outcasts (1962). She was famous for her formidable personality, Elizabethan dress, and eccentric opinions. Her brother Osbert (1892 – 1969) became famous, with his siblings, as a tilter at establishment windmills in literature and the arts. His best-known books are his memoirs, including
Left Hand! Right Hand! (1944) and
Noble Essences (1950), which create with conscious nostalgia the portrait of a vanished aristocratic age. Their brother Sacheverell (1897 – 1988) is best known for his books on art, architecture, and travel. His
Southern Baroque Art (1924) was the forerunner of much academic research. His poetry, including
The People's Palace (1918) and
The Rio Grande, was written mostly in traditional metres and reveals in its mannered style his interest in the arts and music.
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