William Stanley Merwin (September 30, 1927 – March 15, 2019) was an American poet who wrote more than fifty books of poetry and
prose
Prose is a form of written or spoken language that follows the natural flow of speech, uses a language's ordinary grammatical structures, or follows the conventions of formal academic writing. It differs from most traditional poetry, where the f ...
, and produced many works in
translation
Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...
.
During the 1960s
anti-war movement
An anti-war movement (also ''antiwar'') is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term anti-war can also refer to ...
, Merwin's unique craft was thematically characterized by indirect, unpunctuated narration. In the 1980s and 1990s, his writing influence derived from an interest in
Buddhist philosophy
Buddhist philosophy refers to the philosophical investigations and systems of inquiry that developed among various schools of Buddhism in India following the parinirvana of The Buddha and later spread throughout Asia. The Buddhist path combi ...
and
deep ecology
Deep ecology is an environmental philosophy that promotes the inherent worth of all living beings regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs, and the restructuring of modern human societies in accordance with such ideas.
Deep ecolo ...
. Residing in a rural part of
Maui
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...
, Hawaii, he wrote prolifically and was dedicated to the restoration of the island's
rainforests
Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainforest ...
.
Merwin received many honors, including the
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually for Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first presented in 1922, and is given for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author, published ...
in 1971 and 2009;
the
National Book Award for Poetry
The National Book Award for Poetry is one of five annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation to recognize outstanding literary work by US citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers". in 2005, and the Tanning Prize—one of the highest honors bestowed by the
Academy of American Poets
The Academy of American Poets is a national, member-supported organization that promotes poets and the art of poetry. The nonprofit organization was incorporated in the state of New York in 1934. It fosters the readership of poetry through outreac ...
—as well as the Golden Wreath of the
Struga Poetry Evenings
Struga Poetry Evenings (SPE) ( mk, Струшки вечери на поезијата, СВП; tr. ''Struški večeri na poezijata'', ''SVP'') is an international poetry festival held annually in Struga, North Macedonia. During the several dec ...
. In 2010, the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
named him the 17th
United States Poet Laureate
The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the poet laureate seeks to raise the national cons ...
.
Early life
![2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/2.9.11WSMerwinWayByLuigiNovi.jpg)
W. S. Merwin was born in New York City on September 30, 1927. He grew up on the corner of Fourth Street and New York Avenue in
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census the city had a total population of 68,589,[Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U ...]
. As a child, Merwin was enamored of the natural world, sometimes finding himself talking to the large tree in his back yard. He was also fascinated with things that he saw as links to the past, such as the building behind his home that had once been a barn which housed a horse and carriage.
[Diaz, Lana Rose. "Merwin Speaks"; '']The Union City Reporter
''The Hudson Reporter'' is a newspaper chain based in Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Hudson Reporter'' publications mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain is the '' Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 198 ...
'', July 11, 2010, pages 1 & 9. At the age of five he started writing hymns for his father, a
Presbyterian minister
Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or ...
.
Career
Early career: 1952–1976
After attending
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
in 1952, Merwin married Dorothy Jeanne Ferry, and moved to Spain. During his stay there, while visiting the renowned poet
Robert Graves
Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was a British poet, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were both Celtic ...
at his homestead on the island of
Majorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean.
The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...
, he served as tutor to Graves's son. There, he met Dido Milroy, fifteen years his senior, with whom he collaborated on a play and whom he later married and lived with in London. In 1956, Merwin moved to
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
for a fellowship at the Poets' Theater. He returned to London, where he befriended
Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for two of her published collections, ''The ...
and
Ted Hughes
Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...
. In 1968, Merwin moved to New York City, separating from his wife Dido Milroy, who stayed at their home in France. In the late 1970s, Merwin moved to Hawaii and eventually was divorced from Dido Milroy. He married Paula Dunaway in 1983.
From 1956 to 1957, Merwin was also playwright-in-residence at the
Poet's Theatre in
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...
; he became poetry editor at ''
The Nation
''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...
'' in 1962. Besides being a prolific poet, he was a respected translator of Spanish, French, Latin and Italian literature and poetry (including
Lazarillo de Tormes
''The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities'' ( es, La vida de Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades ) is a Spanish novella, published anonymously because of its anticlerical content. It was published s ...
and
Dante
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
's ''
Purgatorio
''Purgatorio'' (; Italian for "Purgatory") is the second part of Dante's ''Divine Comedy'', following the ''Inferno'' and preceding the '' Paradiso''. The poem was written in the early 14th century. It is an allegory telling of the climb of Da ...
'') as well as poetry from
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
,
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
,
Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...
, Japanese and
Quechua
Quechua may refer to:
*Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru
*Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language
**So ...
. He served as selector of poems of the American poet
Craig Arnold
Craig Arnold (November 16, 1967 – April 27, 2009) was an American poet and professor. His first book of poems, ''Shells'' (1999), was selected by W. S. Merwin for the Yale Series of Younger Poets. His many honors include the 2005 Joseph B ...
(1967–2009).
Merwin is known for his poetry about the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, and can be included among the canon of Vietnam War-era poets which includes writers
Robert Bly
Robert Elwood Bly (December 23, 1926 – November 21, 2021) was an American poet, essayist, activist and leader of the mythopoetic men's movement. His best-known prose book is '' Iron John: A Book About Men'' (1990), which spent 62 weeks on ' ...
,
Robert Duncan,
Adrienne Rich
Adrienne Cecile Rich ( ; May 16, 1929 – March 27, 2012) was an American poet, essayist and feminist. She was called "one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the 20th century", and was credited with bringing "th ...
,
Denise Levertov
Priscilla Denise Levertov (24 October 1923 – 20 December 1997) was a British-born naturalised American poet. She was a recipient of the Lannan Literary Award for Poetry.
Early life and influences
Levertov was born and grew up in Ilford, Ess ...
,
Robert Lowell
Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV (; March 1, 1917 – September 12, 1977) was an American poet. He was born into a Boston Brahmin family that could trace its origins back to the ''Mayflower''. His family, past and present, were important subjects i ...
,
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...
and
Yusef Komunyakaa
Yusef Komunyakaa (born James William Brown; April 29, 1941) is an American poet who teaches at New York University and is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Komunyakaa is a recipient of the 1994 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, for ''Neo ...
.
Merwin's early subjects were frequently tied to mythological or legendary themes, while many of his poems featured animals. A volume called ''The Drunk in the Furnace'' (1960) marked a change for Merwin, in that he began to write in a more autobiographical way.
In the 1960s, Merwin lived in a small apartment in New York City's
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
.
Later career: 1977–2019
Merwin's volume ''Migration: New and Selected Poems'' won the 2005 National Book Award for poetry.
In 1998, Merwin wrote ''Folding Cliffs: A Narrative'', an ambitious novel-in-verse about
Hawaiʻi
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
in history and legend.
''
The Shadow of Sirius'', published in 2008 by
Copper Canyon Press
Copper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, founded in 1972 specializing exclusively in the publication of poetry. It is located in Port Townsend, Washington.
Copper Canyon Press publishes new collections of poetry by both popu ...
, was awarded the 2009
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
for poetry.
In June 2010, the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
named Merwin the seventeenth
United States Poet Laureate
The Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the official poet of the United States. During their term, the poet laureate seeks to raise the national cons ...
, to replace the outgoing
Kay Ryan
Kay Ryan (born September 21, 1945) is an American poet and educator. She has published seven volumes of poetry and an anthology of selected and new poems. From 2008 to 2010 she was the sixteenth United States Poet Laureate. In 2011 she was named ...
.
He is the subject of the 2014 documentary film ''
Even Though the Whole World Is Burning''. Merwin appeared in the PBS documentary ''
The Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
'', released in 2010. He had moved to Hawaii to study with the Zen Buddhist master
Robert Aitken in 1976.
In 2010, with his wife Paula, he co-founded The Merwin Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving his hand-built, off-the-grid poet's home and 18-acre restored property in Haiku,
Maui
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...
, which has been transformed from an "agricultural wasteland" to a "Noah's Ark" for rare palm trees, one of the largest and most biodiverse collections of palms in the world.
Merwin's last book of poetry, ''Garden Time'' (Copper Canyon Press, 2016), was composed during the difficult process of losing his eyesight. When he could no longer see well enough to write, he dictated poems to his wife, Paula. It is a book about aging and the practice of living one's life in the present. Writing about ''Garden Time'' in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', Jeff Gordinier suggests that "Merwin's work feels like part of some timeless continuum, a river that stretches all the way back to
Han Shan and
Li Po
Li Bai (, 701–762), also pronounced as Li Bo, courtesy name Taibai (), was a Chinese poet, acclaimed from his own time to the present as a brilliant and romantic figure who took traditional poetic forms to new heights. He and his friend Du Fu ...
."
In 2017,
Copper Canyon Press
Copper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, founded in 1972 specializing exclusively in the publication of poetry. It is located in Port Townsend, Washington.
Copper Canyon Press publishes new collections of poetry by both popu ...
published ''The Essential W. S. Merwin'', a book which traces the seven decade legacy of Merwin's poetry, with selections ranging from his 1952 debut, ''A Mask for Janus'', to 2016's ''Garden Time'', as well as a selection of translations and lesser known prose narratives. Merwin's literary papers are held at the
Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. The collection consists of some 5,500 archival items, and 450 printed books.
Death
Merwin lived on land that was part of a pineapple plantation, on the northeast coast of
Maui, Hawaii
The island of Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th largest island in the United S ...
.
W.S Merwin died on March 15, 2019, in his sleep at his home, as reported by his publisher Copper Canyon Press.
Awards
*1952:
Yale Younger Poets Prize
The Yale Series of Younger Poets is an annual event of Yale University Press aiming to publish the debut collection of a promising American poet. Established in 1918, the Younger Poets Prize is the longest-running annual literary award in the Uni ...
for ''A Mask for Janus''
[Merwin biography]
at Poetry Foundation, Accessed October 23, 2010
* 1954: ''
Kenyon Review
''The Kenyon Review'' is a literary magazine based in Gambier, Ohio, US, home of Kenyon College. ''The Review'' was founded in 1939 by John Crowe Ransom, critic and professor of English at Kenyon College, who served as its editor until 1959. ...
'' Fellowship in Poetry
[Brennan, Elizabeth A. and Elizabeth C. Clarage]
"1971: W. S. Merwin"
article, p. 534, ''Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners'' Phoenix, Arizona: The Oryx Press (1999), , retrieved via Google Books on June 8, 2010
* 1956:
Rockefeller Fellowship
The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carn ...
* 1957:
National Institute of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...
grant
* 1957: Playwrighting Bursary,
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. It was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England (now Arts Council England), the Scottish Arts Council (l ...
* 1961: Rabinowitz Foundation Grant
* 1962: Bess Hokin Prize, ''
Poetry magazine
''Poetry'' (founded as ''Poetry: A Magazine of Verse'') has been published in Chicago since 1912. It is one of the leading monthly poetry journals in the English-speaking world. Founded by Harriet Monroe, it is now published by the Poetry Foundat ...
''
* 1964/1965:
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...
Grant
* 1966: Chapelbrook Foundation Fellowship
* 1967: Harriet Monroe Memorial Prize, ''Poetry'' magazine
* 1969:
PEN Translation Prize
The PEN Translation Prize (formerly known as the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize through 2008) is an annual award given by PEN America (formerly PEN American Center) to outstanding translations into the English language. It has been pr ...
for ''Selected Translations 1948–1968''
[News release]
"Poet W. S. Merwin Reads at Library of Congress October 15
September 22, 1997, Library of Congress website, retrieved June 8, 2010
* 1969:
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carneg ...
Grant
* 1971:
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually for Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first presented in 1922, and is given for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author, published ...
for ''The Carrier of Ladders'' (published in 1971)
* 1973:
Academy of American Poets
The Academy of American Poets is a national, member-supported organization that promotes poets and the art of poetry. The nonprofit organization was incorporated in the state of New York in 1934. It fosters the readership of poetry through outreac ...
Fellowship
* 1974:
Shelley Memorial Award The Shelley Memorial Award of the Poetry Society of America, was established by the will of Mary P. Sears, and named after the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. The prize is given to a living American poet selected with reference to genius and need, and is ...
* 1979:
Bollingen Prize for Poetry
The Bollingen Prize for Poetry is a literary honor bestowed on an American poet in recognition of the best book of new verse within the last two years, or for lifetime achievement. ,
Yale University Library
The Yale University Library is the library system of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Originating in 1701 with the gift of several dozen books to a new "Collegiate School," the library's collection now contains approximately 14.9 mill ...
* 1987: Governor's Award for Literature of the state of Hawaii
* 1990:
Maurice English Poetry Award Maurice may refer to:
People
*Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr
*Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor
* Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and L ...
* 1993: The Tanning Prize for mastery in the art of poetry
* 1993:
Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
The Academy of American Poets is a national, member-supported organization that promotes poets and the art of poetry. The nonprofit organization was incorporated in the state of New York in 1934. It fosters the readership of poetry through outreach ...
for ''Travels''
* 1994: Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Writers' Award
* 1999:
Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress, a jointly-held position with
Rita Dove
Rita Frances Dove (born August 28, 1952) is an American poet and essayist. From 1993 to 1995, she served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. She is the first African American to have been appointed since the posit ...
and
Louise Glück
Louise Elisabeth Glück ( ; born April 22, 1943) is an American poet and essayist. She won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature, whose judges praised "her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal". He ...
[W. S. Merwin]
at Barclay Agency, Accessed October 23, 2010
* 2005:
National Book Award for Poetry
The National Book Award for Poetry is one of five annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation to recognize outstanding literary work by US citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers". for ''Migration: New and Selected Poems''
["National Book Awards – 2005"]
National Book Foundation
The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...
. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
(With acceptance speech by Merwin, essay by Patrick Rosal from the Awards 60-year anniversary blog, and other material.)
* 2004: Golden Wreath Award of the Struga Poetry Evenings Festival in Macedonia
* 2004: Lannan Lifetime Achievement Award
* 2008: Golden Plate Award,
American Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet o ...
* 2009: Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for ''The Shadow of Sirius'' (published in 2008)
*2010: Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement
*2010: United States Poet Laureate
*2013:
Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award
The Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award (Polish: ''Międzynarodowa Nagroda Literacka im. Zbigniewa Herberta'') is a Polish international literature prize established in 2013 in Warsaw and named after a Polish poet, essayist, and morali ...
Other accolades
Merwin's home town honored him in 2006 by renaming a local street near his childhood home W. S. Merwin Way.
Bibliography
Poetry
;Collections
* 1952: ''A Mask for Janus'', New Haven, Connecticut:
Yale University Press
Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day, and became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and operationally autonomous.
, Yale Universi ...
; awarded the Yale Younger Poets Prize, 1952 (reprinted as part of ''The First Four Books of Poems'', 1975)
* 1954: ''The Dancing Bears'', New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press (reprinted as part of ''The First Four Books of Poems'', 1975)
* 1956: ''Green with Beasts'', New York: Knopf (reprinted as part of ''The First Four Books of Poems'', 1975)
* 1960: ''The Drunk in the Furnace'', New York: Macmillan (reprinted as part of ''The First Four Books of Poems'', 1975)
* 1963: ''The Moving Target'', New York: Atheneum
* 1966: ''Collected Poems'', New York: Atheneum
*1967: ''The Lice'', New York: Atheneum; (reprinted in 2017, Port Townsend, Washington:
Copper Canyon Press
Copper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, founded in 1972 specializing exclusively in the publication of poetry. It is located in Port Townsend, Washington.
Copper Canyon Press publishes new collections of poetry by both popu ...
)
* 1969: ''Animae'', San Francisco: Kayak
* 1970: ''The Carrier of Ladders'', New York: Atheneum
– winner of the Pulitzer Prize
["Poetry"]
''Past winners & finalists by category''. The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
* 1970: ''Signs'', illustrated by
A. D. Moore; Iowa City, Iowa: Stone Wall Press
* 1973: ''Writings to an Unfinished Accompaniment'', New York: Atheneum
* 1975: ''The First Four Books of Poems'', containing ''A Mask for Janus'', ''The Dancing Bears'', ''Green with Beasts'', and ''The Drunk in the Furnace'', New York: Atheneum; (reprinted in 2000, Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press)
* 1977: ''The Compass Flower'', New York: Atheneum
* 1978: ''Feathers From the Hill'', Iowa City, Iowa: Windhover
* 1982: ''Finding the Islands'', San Francisco: North Point Press
* 1983: ''Opening the Hand'', New York: Atheneum
* 1988: ''The Rain in the Trees'', New York: Knopf
* 1988: ''Selected Poems'', New York: Atheneum
* 1992: ''The Second Four Books of Poems'', Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press/>
* 1993: ''Travels: Poems'', New York: Knopf
– winner of the 1993 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize
* 1996: ''The Vixen: Poems'', New York: Knopf
* 1997: ''Flower and Hand: Poems, 1977–1983'' Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press
* 1998: ''The Folding Cliffs: A Narrative'', a "novel-in-verse" New York: Knopf
* 1999: ''The River Sound: Poems'', New York: Knopf
* 2001: ''The Pupil'', New York: Knopf
* 2005: ''Migration: New and Selected Poems'', Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press
– winner of the National Book Award for Poetry
* 2005: ''Present Company'', Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press
*2008: ''The Shadow of Sirius'', Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press – winner of the Pulitzer Prize;
2009: Tarset, Northumberland, UK:
Bloodaxe Books
Bloodaxe Books is a British publishing house specializing in poetry.
History
Bloodaxe Books was founded in 1978 in Newcastle upon Tyne by Neil Astley, who is still editor and managing director. Bloodaxe moved its editorial office to Northumbe ...
* 2014: ''The Moon Before Morning'', Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press; Hexham, Northumberland, UK: Bloodaxe Books
* 2016: ''Garden Time'', Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press; Hexham, Northumberland, UK: Bloodaxe Books
* 2017: ''The Essential W. S. Merwin'', Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press
Prose
* 1970: ''The Miner's Pale Children'', New York: Atheneum (reprinted in 1994, New York: Holt)
* 1977: ''Houses and Travellers'', New York: Atheneum (reprinted in 1994, New York: Holt)
* 2002: ''The Mays of Ventadorn'', National Geographic Directions Series; Washington:
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
* 2004: ''The Ends of the Earth'', essays, Washington: Shoemaker & Hoard
Plays
* 1956: ''Darkling Child'' (with
Dido Milroy), produced that year
* 1957: ''Favor Island'', produced this year at Poets' Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts (broadcast in 1958 by ''Third Programme'', British Broadcasting Corporation)
* 1961: ''The Gilded West'', produced this year at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, England
Translations
* 1959: ''
The Poem of the Cid'', London: Dent (American edition, 1962, New York: New American Library)
* 1960: ''The Satires of Persius'', Bloomington, Indiana:
Indiana University Press
Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher founded in 1950 at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. IU Press publishes 140 ...
* 1961: ''Some Spanish Ballads'', London: Abelard (American edition: ''Spanish Ballads'', 1961, New York: Doubleday Anchor)
* 1962: ''
The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes: His Fortunes and Adversities'', a Spanish novella; New York: Doubleday Anchor
* 1963: ''
The Song of Roland
''The Song of Roland'' (french: La Chanson de Roland) is an 11th-century ''chanson de geste'' based on the Frankish military leader Roland at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778 AD, during the reign of the Carolingian king Charlemagne. It is t ...
''
* 1969: ''Selected Translations, 1948–1968'', New York: Atheneum
– winner of the
PEN Translation Prize
The PEN Translation Prize (formerly known as the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize through 2008) is an annual award given by PEN America (formerly PEN American Center) to outstanding translations into the English language. It has been pr ...
* 1969: ''
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair
''Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair'' ( es, Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada) is a collection of romantic poems by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, first published in 1924 by Editorial Nascimento of Santiago, when Neruda was ...
'', poems by
Pablo Neruda
Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto (12 July 1904 – 23 September 1973), better known by his pen name and, later, legal name Pablo Neruda (; ), was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Nerud ...
; London:
Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape is a London publishing firm founded in 1921 by Herbert Jonathan Cape, who was head of the firm until his death in 1960.
Cape and his business partner Wren Howard set up the publishing house in 1921. They established a reputation ...
(reprinted in 2004 with an introduction by
Christina Garcia, New York: Penguin Books)
* 1969: ''Products of the Perfected Civilization, Selected Writings of
Chamfort
Sébastien-Roch Nicolas, known in his adult life as Nicolas Chamfort and as Sébastien Nicolas de Chamfort (; 6 April 1741 – 13 April 1794), was a French writer, best known for his epigrams and aphorisms. He was secretary to Louis XVI's siste ...
'', also author of the introduction; New York: Macmillan
* 1969: ''Voices: Selected Writings of
Antonio Porchia
Antonio Porchia (November 13, 1885 – November 9, 1968) was an Argentinian poet.
Porchia was born in Conflenti, Italy, but, after the death of his father in 1900, moved to Argentina.
Porchia wrote a Spanish book entitled ''Voces'' ("Voices"), ...
'', Chicago: Follett (reprinted in 1988 and 2003, Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press)
* 1969: ''Transparence of the World'', poems by
Jean Follain
Jean Follain (29 August 1903 – 10 March 1971) was a French writer, poet and corporate lawyer. In the early days of his career he was a member of the "Sagesse" group. , New York: Atheneum (reprinted in 2003, Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press)
* 1971: "Eight
Quechua
Quechua may refer to:
*Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru
*Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language
**So ...
Poems", ''
The Hudson Review
''The Hudson Review'' is a quarterly journal of literature and the arts.
History
It was founded in 1947 in New York, by William Arrowsmith, Joseph Deericks Bennett, and George Frederick Morgan. The first issue was introduced in the spring of 194 ...
''
Archive
at ''The Hudson Review
''The Hudson Review'' is a quarterly journal of literature and the arts.
History
It was founded in 1947 in New York, by William Arrowsmith, Joseph Deericks Bennett, and George Frederick Morgan. The first issue was introduced in the spring of 194 ...
'' Accessed October 23, 2010
* 1974: ''Osip Mandelstam
Osip Emilyevich Mandelstam ( rus, Осип Эмильевич Мандельштам, p=ˈosʲɪp ɨˈmʲilʲjɪvʲɪtɕ mənʲdʲɪlʲˈʂtam; – 27 December 1938) was a Russian and Soviet poet. He was one of the foremost members of the Acm ...
: Selected Poems'' (with Clarence Brown
Clarence Leon Brown (May 10, 1890 – August 17, 1987) was an American film director.
Early life
Born in Clinton, Massachusetts, to Larkin Harry Brown, a cotton manufacturer, and Katherine Ann Brown (née Gaw), Brown moved to Tennessee when he ...
), New York: Oxford University Press (reprinted in 2004 as ''The Selected Poems of Osip Mandelstam'', New York: The New York Review of Books)
* 1977: ''Sanskrit Love Poetry'' (with J. Moussaieff Masson), New York: Columbia University Press
Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by Jennifer Crewe (2014–present) and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fiel ...
(published in 1981 as ''Peacock's Egg: Love Poems from Ancient India'', San Francisco: North Point Press)
* 1977: ''Vertical Poetry'', poems by Roberto Juarroz; San Francisco: Kayak (reprinted in 1988; San Francisco: North Point Press)
* 1978: ''Euripides
Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian
Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...
' Iphigeneia at Aulis
''Iphigenia in Aulis'' or ''Iphigenia at Aulis'' ( grc, Ἰφιγένεια ἐν Αὐλίδι, Īphigéneia en Aulídi; variously translated, including the Latin ''Iphigenia in Aulide'') is the last of the extant works by the playwright Euripide ...
'' (with George E. Dimock Jr.), New York: Oxford University Press
* 1979: ''Selected Translations, 1968–1978'', New York: Atheneum
* 1981: ''Robert the Devil'', an anonymous French play; with an introduction by the translator; Iowa City, Iowa: Windhover
* 1989: ''Sun at Midnight'', poems by Musō Soseki
was a Rinzai Zen, Zen Buddhist monk and teacher, and a calligraphist, poet and garden designer. The most famous monk of his time, he is also known as ("national Zen teacher"), an honorific conferred on him by Emperor Go-Daigo.''Musō Soseki'' ...
(with Soiku Shigematsu)
* 2000: ''Purgatorio
''Purgatorio'' (; Italian for "Purgatory") is the second part of Dante's ''Divine Comedy'', following the ''Inferno'' and preceding the '' Paradiso''. The poem was written in the early 14th century. It is an allegory telling of the climb of Da ...
'' from ''The Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
'' of Dante
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
; New York: Knopf
* 2002: '' Gawain and the Green Knight, a New Verse Translation'', New York: Knopf; 2003: Tarset, Northumberland, UK: Bloodaxe Books
* 2013: ''Sun At Midnight'', poems by Muso Soseki, Port Townsend, Washington: Copper Canyon Press (with Soiku Shigematsu) (updated and reissued)
As editor
* 1961: ''West Wind: Supplement of American Poetry'', London: Poetry Book Society
* 1996: ''Lament for the Makers: A Memorial Anthology'' (compiler), Washington: Counterpoint
Other sources
*''The Union City Reporter
''The Hudson Reporter'' is a newspaper chain based in Hudson County, New Jersey. ''The Hudson Reporter'' publications mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain is the '' Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 198 ...
'' March 12, 2006.
References
Further reading
* Armenti, Peter
W. S. Merwin: Online Resources
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
, accessed November 25, 2010.
W. S. Merwin
at the Steven Barclay Agency, accessed November 25, 2010.
* Norton, Ingrid
"Second Glance: Today belongs to few and tomorrow to no one"
Open Letters Monthly, accessed November 25, 2010.
*
* Kubota, Gary T
, ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin
The ''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'' was a daily newspaper based in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. At the time publication ceased on June 6, 2010, it was the second largest daily newspaper in the state of Hawaii (after the ''Honolulu Advertiser''). ...
'', April 21, 2001
* ttp://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/m_r/merwin/online.htm W. S. Merwin – Online Poems Modern American Poetry, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Universit ...
, accessed November 25, 2010.
* Lerner, Ben
"The Emptiness at the End"
''Jacket'' magazine, October 2005
External links
The Merwin Conservancy
W. S. Merwin at Poets.org
Profile and poems of W. S. Merwin, including audio files
at the Poetry Foundation
"Two Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry"
Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet o ...
, July 3, 2008
W.S. Merwin: To Plant a Tree
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library
Emory University
Letters to W.S. (William Stanley) and Dido Merwin, 1958–1969
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merwin, W. S.
1927 births
2019 deaths
American pacifists
American Poets Laureate
American Presbyterians
Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters
National Book Award winners
The New Yorker people
People from Union City, New Jersey
Writers from Scranton, Pennsylvania
Princeton University alumni
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry winners
Struga Poetry Evenings Golden Wreath laureates
Translators of Dante Alighieri
Translators to English
Poets from Hawaii
Poets from New Jersey
Writers from New York City
Bollingen Prize recipients
American male poets
Yale Younger Poets winners
Wyoming Seminary alumni