About
Richard Wilbur (1921-2017) was a major American poet, known for the clarity and elegance of his verse. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice, in 1957 for 'Things of This World' and in 1989 for 'New and Collected Poems'. He also served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 1987 to 1988. Wilbur translated plays by Molière and Racine, and wrote lyrics for Bernstein's musical 'Candide'. He taught at several universities, including Wesleyan, and received numerous honors, including the National Medal of Arts in 1994.
* 1921-03-01 — † 2017-10-14
Major works
- The Beautiful Changes and Other Poems (1947)poetry collection
- Things of This World (1956)poetry collection
- New and Collected Poems (1988)poetry collection
- Tartuffe (1963)translation
- Candide (1956)musical libretto
Key milestones
- 1957Wins the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for 'Things of This World'.
- 1987Appointed second U.S. Poet Laureate.
- 1994Receives the National Medal of Arts.
Themes
naturebeautyperceptiontranslationeveryday life
Sources: loc.gov · poetryfoundation.org · bollingen.yale.edu