Theodore Roethke | |
|---|---|
 Roethke in 1945 | |
| Born | Theodore Huebner Roethke May 25, 1908 Saginaw, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | August 1, 1963 (aged 55) Bainbridge Island, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation |
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| Education | University of Michigan (BA, MA) Harvard University |
| Genre | American poetry |
| Notable works | The Waking, The Lost Son, The Far Field, Words for the Wind |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award |
Theodore Huebner Roethke (/ˈrɛtki/ RET-kee;[1] May 25, 1908 – August 1, 1963) was an American poet. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential poets of his generation, having won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1954 for his book The Waking, and the annual National Book Award for Poetry on two occasions: in 1959 for Words for the Wind,[2] and posthumously in 1965 for The Far Field.[3][4] His work was characterized by a willingness to engage deeply with a multifaceted introspection, and his style was overtly rhythmic, with a skilful use of natural imagery. Indeed, Roethke's mastery of both free verse and fixed forms was complemented by an intense lyrical quality that drew "from the natural world in all its mystery and fierce beauty."[5]
Roethke was praised by former U.S. Poet Laureate and author James Dickey as "in my opinion the greatest poet this country has yet produced."[6] He was also a respected poetry teacher, and taught at the University of Washington for fifteen years. His students from that period won two Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry and two others were nominated for the award. "He was probably the best poetry-writing teacher ever," said poet Richard Hugo, who studied under Roethke.[7]
- ^ "Theodore Roethke Michigan's Poet" by Linda Robinson Walker at Michigan Today (Summer 2001) Archived 2007-10-22 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
- ^ "National Book Awards – 1959". National Book Foundation. With acceptance speech by Poetry award panelist Daniel G. Hoffman and essay by Scott Challener from the Awards 60-year anniversary blog. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- ^ "National Book Awards – 1965". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
- ^ The Poetry Foundation
- ^ "Roethke's Poetry (on official website of the Friends of Theodore Roethke Foundation)". www.friendsofroethke.org. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ The New York Review of Books
- ^ "online version of: Tom Hansen, On Writing Poetry: Four Contemporary Poets, in: College English, Vol. 44, No. 3, March 1982, pp. 265-273". www.jstor.org. JSTOR 377014. Retrieved 23 August 2024.