Sven M. Armens was born August 11, 1921, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mr. Armens received his A.M. degree from Tufts College (now Tufts University) in Medford, Massachusetts, in 1943. He took the M.A. and Ph.D. in English at Harvard University in 1947 and 1951.

Dr. Armens received a teaching fellowship at Harvard during 1949-1950. He joined the State University of Iowa English faculty as an instructor in 1950. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1954, associate professor in 1961, and was made full professor in 1966. He taught courses in American poetry, Shakespeare, and ancient and modern literature. In addition to publishing several books of poetry, he contributed to the University of Kansas City Review and other publications. Dr. Armens retired from the University in 1988.

He married Kathleen Vera Danahy on May 31, 1942, and they had two children, Karl and Sharon.