Poems by Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931)

Vachal Lindsay, known as the "Prairie Troubadour" was born in Springfield Illinois and a number of his poems are about this otherwise somewhat uninspiring town. Many of his lyrics are designed to be sung/chanted with at least "one-third of the music" being added by "the instinct of the reader. He is regarded as the father of modern "singing poetry" as he described it. His work was admired by the great Irish Poet, WB Yeats. He committed suicide by drinking a bottle of Lysol. His last words were: "They tried to get me. I got them first!"