Bollingen Prize for Poetry
1 appearances
May Swenson
メイ・スウェンソン
May Swenson
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1913-05-28 （Logan, Utah, U.S.）
- Died
- 1989-12-04 （Salisbury, Maryland, U.S.） age 76
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Mormon (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
- Residence History
- Logan, Utah (birthplace) → Sea Cliff, New York (later residence) → Salisbury, Maryland (place of death)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Playwright, Editor, Translator, Poetry teacher
- Active Years
- 1934-1989
- Affiliations
- Academy of American Poets (Chancellor), New Directions Publishing (manuscript reviewer, 1959–1966), Utah State University (faculty/visiting)
- Memberships
- Academy of American Poets (Chancellor)
- Influenced By
- Tomas Tranströmer (poet she translated)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah State University | — | English | 学士 | 1930–1934 | United States |
Utah State University
English
Degree:
学士
Period:
1930–1934
Year of Graduation:
1934
Country:
United States
Obtained bachelor's degree
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Bollingen Prize (for Poetry) | — | — | Bollingen Foundation / Awarding institutions | 受賞 |
| 1987 | MacArthur Fellowship | — | — | MacArthur Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1959 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1960 | Amy Lowell Traveling Scholarship | — | — | Amy Lowell Trust | 受賞 |
| 1959 | William Rose Benet Prize | — | — | Poetry Society of America | 受賞 |
| 1960 | National Institute of Arts and Letters Award | — | — | National Institute of Arts and Letters | 受賞 |
| 1967 | Brandeis University Creative Arts Award | — | — | Brandeis University | 受賞 |
| 1968 | Lucy Martin Donnelly Award | — | — | Bryn Mawr College | 受賞 |
| 1968 | Shelley Poetry Award | — | — | Shelley Award (poetry) | 受賞 |
| 1959 | Longview Foundation Award | — | — | Longview Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1955 | American Introductions Prize | — | — | Unknown | 受賞 |
| 1964 | Ford Foundation grant | — | — | Ford Foundation | 助成 |
Bollingen Prize (for Poetry)
1981
Organization:
Bollingen Foundation / Awarding institutions
Result:
受賞
MacArthur Fellowship
1987
Organization:
MacArthur Foundation
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
1959
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞
Amy Lowell Traveling Scholarship
1960
Organization:
Amy Lowell Trust
Result:
受賞
William Rose Benet Prize
1959
Organization:
Poetry Society of America
Result:
受賞
National Institute of Arts and Letters Award
1960
Organization:
National Institute of Arts and Letters
Result:
受賞
Brandeis University Creative Arts Award
1967
Organization:
Brandeis University
Result:
受賞
Lucy Martin Donnelly Award
1968
Organization:
Bryn Mawr College
Result:
受賞
Shelley Poetry Award
1968
Organization:
Shelley Award (poetry)
Result:
受賞
Longview Foundation Award
1959
Organization:
Longview Foundation
Result:
受賞
American Introductions Prize
1955
Organization:
Unknown
Result:
受賞
Ford Foundation grant
1964
Organization:
Ford Foundation
Result:
助成
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Another Animal
1954 Poetry (collection)An early collection of poems incorporating nature and keen personal observation.
NaturePersonal observation
A Cage of Spines
1958 Poetry (collection)Contains poems notable for sharp imagery and linguistic sensitivity.
PhysicalityExistential themes
Iconographs
1970 Poetry (iconograph / shaped poems)A collection showcasing 'iconograph' poems where line arrangement forms images related to the poem's subject.
Visual poetryNatureReligious metaphor
New & Selected Things Taking Place
1978 Poetry (selected)A selected volume compiling poems across decades, showing stylistic range.
RetrospectionNatureBody
In Other Words
1987 Poetry (collection)A late-career collection marked by mature perspective and refined language.
Meditations on agingLanguage and expression
Windows and Stones: Selected Poems of Tomas Tranströmer (translation)
1972 Translated poetry (collection)A selection of Tomas Tranströmer's poems translated into English and edited by Swenson.
TranslationNordic poetry
Bibliography
- Another Animal (Scribner, 1954)
- A Cage of Spines (Rinehart, 1958)
- To Mix with Time: New and Selected Poems (Scribner, 1963)
- Poems to Solve (Scribner, 1966)
- Half Sun Half Sleep (Scribner, 1967)
- Iconographs (Scribner, 1970)
- More Poems to Solve (Scribner, 1971)
- New & Selected Things Taking Place (Little, Brown, 1978)
- In Other Words (Knopf, 1987)
- Collected Poems (Library of America, 2013)
- Made With Words, ed. Gardner McFall (U of Mich Press, 1998)
Translations by Author
- Windows and Stones: Selected Poems of Tomas Tranströmer (1972, translation)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Iconograph / shaped poetryImagistic natural descriptionClear, observational diction
- Recurring Motifs
- NatureReligious metaphorPhysicality and eroticismChildren / childhood
Legacy
May Swenson is regarded as a significant 20th-century American poet, noted for her iconograph poems, vivid natural and religious imagery, and sensual depictions. Her papers are held chiefly at Washington University in St. Louis and Utah State University. Her legacy includes influence on poets, archival collections, and a namesake poetry award.
Museums
- May Swenson Papers (Washington University in St. Louis) Special Collections, Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri)
- May Swenson Collections (Utah State University) Special Collections and Archives, Utah State University (Logan, Utah)
Academic Societies
- Academy of American Poets
Archives
- Washington University in St. Louis — May Swenson Papers
- Utah State University — May Swenson Collections and Addendum
- University of Delaware — materials in the Robert A. Wilson collection
In Popular Culture
- Her poem "Question" is quoted in Stephenie Meyer's novel The Host
Quotes
-
I think I should like to have a son by Plat, but I would not like to be married to any man, but only be myself.
Source: Diary entry (1936) (1936) -
In "Snow by Morning" she compares a snowfall to the biblical manna.
Source: Poem published in The New Yorker (1954) (1954)
Trivia
- Swenson was the eldest of ten children and grew up in a Swedish-speaking household.
- Her family struggled to accept her lesbian identity but remained close with her throughout life.
- She is buried in the Logan City Cemetery; her grave is marked by a granite bench engraved with some of her poetry.
- The May Swenson Poetry Award, sponsored by Utah State University Press, ran annually from 1996 to 2016.