Richard Wilbur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Wilbur
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Wilbur in 1964
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| Born | Richard Purdy Wilbur March 1, 1921 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 14, 2017 (aged 96) Belmont, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Alma mater | Amherst College (1942) Harvard University (1947) |
| Genre | Poetry, children's books, drama, French literature |
| Literary movement | Formalism |
| Notable works | Things of This World |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (1957, 1989) Robert Frost Medal (1996) |
| Spouse | Mary Charlotte Hayes Ward 1942–2007 (her death) |
| Children | Ellen D. Wilbur, born 1943, Christopher H. Wilbur, born 1948, Nathan L. Wilbur, born 1951, Aaron H. Wilbur, born 1958 |
Richard Purdy Wilbur (born March 1, 1921 – died October 14, 2017) was an important American poet and translator. He was known for his clever and elegant poems. Richard Wilbur was named the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1987. This means he was a special poet chosen to advise the U.S. government. He also won the famous Pulitzer Prize for Poetry two times, in 1957 and 1989.
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Richard Wilbur's Early Life and Education
Richard Wilbur was born in New York City on March 1, 1921. He grew up in North Caldwell, New Jersey. In 1938, he finished high school at Montclair High School. While there, he worked on the school newspaper.
After high school, he went to Amherst College and graduated in 1942. He then served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. After the war, he continued his studies at Harvard University.
Teaching and Academic Career
Wilbur taught at several colleges during his life. He taught at Wellesley College, then at Wesleyan University for 20 years. Later, he taught at Smith College for another 10 years.
At Wesleyan, he helped start a poetry series for the University Press. This series became very successful and won awards. He even taught at Amherst College as late as 2009.
Richard Wilbur's Writing Career
Richard Wilbur started writing very early. When he was only eight years old, his first poem was published in John Martin's Magazine. His first book of poems, The Beautiful Changes and Other Poems, came out in 1947. He published many more poetry books after that, including New and Collected Poems in 1989.
Wilbur as a Translator
Wilbur was also a skilled translator. He specialized in translating plays from 17th-century French writers. He translated comedies by Molière and dramas by Jean Racine. His translation of Molière's play Tartuffe is very popular. It has been shown on television twice.
Children's Books and Musicals
Besides poetry and translations, Wilbur wrote several books for children. These include Opposites, More Opposites, and The Disappearing Alphabet.
He also wrote lyrics for songs in a musical! He helped write songs for Leonard Bernstein's 1956 musical Candide. Some famous songs he worked on are "Glitter and Be Gay" and "Make Our Garden Grow."
Awards and Special Honors
Richard Wilbur received many awards for his amazing work. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice. The first time was in 1957 for his book Things of This World. The second time was in 1989 for New and Collected Poems.
Here are some of his other important awards and honors:
- National Book Award for Poetry (1957) for Things of This World
- Bollingen Prize for Poetry (1971)
- Shelley Memorial Award (1973)
- Drama Desk Special Award (1983) for his translation of The Misanthrope
- United States Poet Laureate (1987–1988)
- American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal in Poetry (1991)
- PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation (1994)
- National Medal of Arts (1994), presented by President Bill Clinton
- Frost Medal (1996)
- Wallace Stevens Award (2003)
- Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize (2006)
- National Translation Award (2010)
In 2003, Richard Wilbur was added to the American Theater Hall of Fame. In 2012, Yale University gave him an honorary Doctor of Letters degree.
Richard Wilbur passed away on October 14, 2017. He was 96 years old and died in Belmont, Massachusetts.
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