War is a disastrous thing that can obliterate nations to rubble. Bombs slowly falling onto houses as families huddle together hoping to survive. Who knew that a man who has seen the catastrophes of war could write such beautiful literature. Literature that strikes a heartstring to people of all ages. The man behind the beautiful catastrophes is Ernest Hemingway.

Between the achievements of “A Farewell to Arms” or “An Old Man and the Sea,” it is easy to see that Hemingway has quite an impressive and extensive resume. Hemingway was born in 1899, in Illinois to his parents Clarence and Grace Hemingway. The Hemingway’s enjoyed taking the children out to the country and doing activities such as swimming, fishing and hiking the wilderness.

Once Hemingway reached high school, he began to develop a love and a niche for writing. He wrote for his school newspaper Trapeze and Tabula. Before writing about literature, he began writing about athletics and sports. Upon graduating, he began to work for a newspaper once again, the Kansas City Star and became a well-known columnist.

In 1918, Hemingway’s life had one huge turn around: World War I.

Hemingway was drafted and went off to Italy to work as an ambulance driver while also fight on the Italian Front. Hemingway, met his first love, Agnes, and took her hand in marriage. Their love abruptly ended when Hemingway found out that Agnes was having an affair. Full of heartache and broken love, he wrote of his famous book, “A Farewell to Arms.” The book details the love of these two and how it was lost. This book became a widely profound novel that captivated audiences everywhere.

When he wasn’t writing, Hemingway enjoyed big-game hunting in Africa, a pastime activity he had grown to love from his dad. In 1951, he wrote his first ever Pulitzer Prize winning book, “The Old Man and the Sea.”

After that, he wrote many other works throughout the course of his life, totalling up to 50 literary masterpieces. Sadly, in 1961 Hemingway committed suicide in his home in Idaho, a place he purchased for that sole reason. Through his literary style, his life lives on in more ways than one.

Personally, I admire Hemingway and all of his literary masterpieces. I read for the first time, “A Farewell to Arms” and fell in love with the way he conveys love and pure, unadulterated emotion. Pick up a book of his and you will not be disappointed.

Breanna Roen is a staff writer for  The Dakota Student. She can be reached at  [email protected]