Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
1 appearances
-
Edition 53 (1972) Winner
James Wright
ジェームズ・ライト
Jeimuzu Raito
Aliases:
James Arlington Wright
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1927-12-13 （Martins Ferry, Ohio）
- Died
- 1980-03-25 （New York City） age 52
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Martins Ferry, Ohio → Vienna, Austria → Seattle, Washington → New York City
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Professor
- Active Years
- 1956-1980
- Affiliations
- Hunter College, Macalester College, University of Minnesota
- Memberships
- American Academy of Arts and Letters, Phi Beta Kappa
- Influenced By
- John Crowe Ransom, Theodore Roethke, Stanley Kunitz, Robert Bly, René Char
- Influenced
- Franz Wright, Mary Oliver
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenyon College | — | English | BA | 1948-1952 | United States |
| University of Washington | — | English | MA, PhD | 1953-1959 | United States |
Kenyon College
English
Degree:
BA
Period:
1948-1952
Year of Graduation:
1952
Country:
United States
Studied under John Crowe Ransom on the GI Bill
University of Washington
English
Degree:
MA, PhD
Period:
1953-1959
Year of Graduation:
1959
Country:
United States
Advised by Theodore Roethke and Stanley Kunitz
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Yale Younger Poets Prize | The Green Wall | — | Yale University Press | Winner |
| 1972 | Pulitzer Prize for Poetry | Collected Poems | — | Columbia University | Winner |
Yale Younger Poets Prize
1957
Work:
The Green Wall
Organization:
Yale University Press
Result:
Winner
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
1972
Work:
Collected Poems
Organization:
Columbia University
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Green Wall
1957 Poetry collectionCollection of formalist verse.
Midwestern poverty
The Branch Will Not Break
1963 Poetry collectionSeminal work marking shift to deep image free verse.
Human spiritNature
Collected Poems
1971 Collected poetryCollection of poems that won the Pulitzer Prize.
DispossessedTranscendence
Bibliography
- The Green Wall
- Saint Judas
- The Branch Will Not Break
- Shall We Gather at the River
- Collected Poems
- Two Citizens
- Moments of the Italian Summer
- To a Blossoming Pear Tree
Translations by Author
- Translations of René Char
- Translations of modern German and Spanish poets
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Formalist verseDeep image poetryFree verseImagistic
- Recurring Motifs
- Post-industrial Midwest landscapesPoverty and dispossessedEmotional sufferingHuman transcendence
Health
-
Nervous breakdown1943High school postponed, psychiatric hospitalization
-
Clinical depression生涯Multiple breakdowns, electroshock therapy
-
Bipolar disorder生涯Influenced poetry themes
-
Alcoholism生涯Health deterioration
-
Tongue cancer1979-1980Cause of death
Legacy
Pulitzer winner whose work gained cult status posthumously. First father-son Pulitzer Poetry winners with son Franz. Annual poetry festival held.
In Popular Culture
- James Wright Poetry Festival (1981-2007, Martins Ferry, Ohio)
Quotes
-
I have wasted my life.
Source: Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy's Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota (1963) -
A Blessing
Source: The Branch Will Not Break (1963)
Trivia
- Lifelong smoker who died of tongue cancer at 52.
- First father-son duo to win Pulitzer Prize for Poetry with son Franz.
- Served in U.S. Army occupation of Japan.