Richard Purdy Wilbur (March 1, 1921 – October 14, 2017) was an American poet and literary translator. One of the foremost poets, along with his friend Anthony Hecht, of the World War II generation, Wilbur's work, often employing rhyme, and composed primarily in traditional forms, was marked by its wit, charm, and gentlemanly elegance. He was acclaimed in his youth as the heir to

Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American Colloquialism, colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New E ...

, translated the

verse drama Verse drama is any drama written significantly in poetry, verse (that is: with line endings) to be performed by an actor before an audience. Although verse drama does not need to be ''primarily'' in verse to be considered verse drama, significan ...

s of Moliere, Corneille, and Racine into rhymed English, collaborated with

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...

as the

lyricist A lyricist is a writer who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income derives ...

for the opera ''

Candide ( , ) is a French satire written by Voltaire, a philosopher of the Age of Enlightenment, first published in 1759. The novella has been widely translated, with English versions titled ''Candide: or, All for the Best'' (1759); ''Candide: or, The ...

'',Music Theatre International. ''Candide (1973)''
/ref> and in his old age acted, particularly through his role in the annual West Chester University Poetry Conference, as a mentor to the younger poets of the New Formalist movement. He was appointed the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1987 and received 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. The award came five years after the first Pulitzers were awarded in other categories; Joseph Pulitzer's will had not ment ...

twice, in 1957 and 1989.

Early years

Wilbur was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

on March 1, 1921, and grew up in

North Caldwell, New Jersey North Caldwell is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and a suburb of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,694, an ...

. In 1938 he graduated from Montclair High School, where he worked on the school newspaper. At

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...

, he also displayed his "ample literary gifts" as one of the "sharpest" reporters for the college newspaper, edited by upperclassman

Robert Morgenthau Robert Morris Morgenthau ( ; July 31, 1919July 21, 2019) was an American lawyer. From 1975 until his retirement in 2009, he was the District Attorney for New York County (the borough of Manhattan), having previously served as United States Attorn ...

. After graduation in 1942, he served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

from 1943 to 1945 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He attended graduate school at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. Wilbur taught at

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

, then

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...

for two decades and at

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

for another decade. At Wesleyan he was instrumental in founding the award-winning poetry series of the

Wesleyan University Press Wesleyan University Press is a university press that is part of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. The press is currently directed by Suzanna Tamminen, a published poet and essayist. History and overview Founded (in its present form ...

. He received two Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry and taught at Amherst College as late as 2009, where he also served on the editorial board of the literary magazine '' The Common''.

Literary career

When only eight years old, Wilbur published his first poem in ''John Martin's Magazine''. His first book, ''The Beautiful Changes and Other Poems'', appeared in 1947. Thereafter he published several volumes of poetry, including ''New and Collected Poems'' (Faber, 1989). Wilbur was also a translator, specializing in the 17th century French comedies of

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...

and dramas of

Jean Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ; ; 22 December 1639 – 21 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille, as well as an important literary figure in the Western tr ...

. His translation of ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; , ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy (or more specifically, a farce) by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical theat ...

'' has become the play's standard English version and has been presented on television twice (a 1978 production is available on DVD). Wilbur also published several children's books, including ''Opposites'', ''More Opposites'', and ''The Disappearing Alphabet.'' In 1959 he became the general editor of The Laurel Poetry Series (

Dell Publishing Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, ''I Confess'', and ...

). Continuing the tradition of

and

W. H. Auden Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry is noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in tone, ...

, Wilbur's poetry finds illumination in everyday experiences. Less well-known is Wilbur's foray into writing theatre

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, ...

. He provided lyrics to several songs in

's 1956

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

'', including the famous " Glitter and Be Gay" and "Make Our Garden Grow". He also produced several unpublished works, including "The Wing" and "To Beatrice". His honors included the 1983 Drama Desk Special Award and the PEN Translation Prize for his translation of ''

The Misanthrope ''The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover'' (; ) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal (rue Saint-Honoré), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris by ...

'', the

and the

National Book Award The National Book Awards (NBA) are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. ...

for ''Things of This World'' (1956),"National Book Awards – 1957"

National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established with the goal "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America." Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: ...

. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
(With acceptance speech by Wilbur and essay by Patrick Rosal from the Awards 60-year anniversary blog.) the Edna St Vincent Millay award, the Bollingen Prize, and the Chevalier, . He was elected a Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

in 1959. In 1987 Wilbur became the second poet, after

Robert Penn Warren Robert Penn Warren (April 24, 1905 – September 15, 1989) was an American poet, novelist, literary critic and professor at Yale University. He was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern ...

, to be named U.S. Poet Laureate after the position's title was changed from Poetry Consultant. In 1988 he won the Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry and in 1989 he won a second Pulitzer, for his ''New and Collected Poems.'' On October 14, 1994, he received the

National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...

from President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

. He also received the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation in 1994. In 2003 Wilbur was inducted into the

American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame was founded in 1972 in New York City. The first head of its executive committee was Earl Blackwell. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the Uris Theatre, ...

. In 2006 he won the

Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize The Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize is awarded annually by The Poetry Foundation, which also publishes ''Poetry'' magazine. The prize was established in 1986 by Ruth Lilly. It honors a living U.S. poet whose "lifetime accomplishments warrant extraordin ...

. In 2010 he won the National Translation Award for the translation of ''The Theatre of Illusion'' by

Pierre Corneille Pierre Corneille (; ; 6 June 1606 – 1 October 1684) was a French tragedian. He is generally considered one of the three great 17th-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine. As a young man, he earned the valuable patronage ...

. In 2012

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters on Wilbur. He had a literary correspondence with Catholic nun, literary critic and poet M. Bernetta Quinn. Wilbur died on October 14, 2017, at a nursing home in

Belmont, Massachusetts Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a western suburb of Boston and is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, its population was 27,295, an increase of 10.4% from 2010. H ...

, from natural causes aged 96.

Awards and honors

During his lifetime, Wilbur received numerous awards in recognition of his work, including: *

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...

for Creative Arts (1952, 1963) *

Poetry Society of America Poetry (from the Greek word '' poiesis'', "making") is a form of literary art that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, literal or surface-level meanings. Any partic ...

Millay Award (1957) * National Book Award for Poetry (1957) for ''Things of This World'' *

(1957, 1989) for ''Things of This World'', ''New and Collected Poems'' * Bollingen Prize for Poetry (1971) * Shelley Memorial Award (1973) * New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical (1973–1974) for ''Candide'' *

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town news ...

for Best Musical (1973–1974) for ''Candide'' * Drama Desk Special Award (1983) for translation of ''The Misanthrope'' *

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 consc ...

(1987–1988) *

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in West End theatre, professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of We ...

for Musical of the Year (1988) for ''Candide'' *

St. Louis Literary Award The St. Louis Literary Award has been presented yearly since 1967 to a distinguished figure in literature. It is sponsored by the Saint Louis University Library Associates. Winners Past Recipients of the Award: *2025 Colson Whitehead *2024 J ...

from the

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Missi ...

Library Associates * American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal in Poetry (1991) * Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a nonprofit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest-achieving people in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet one ano ...

(1995) * PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation (1994) * Frost Medal (1996) * Wallace Stevens Award (2003) *

(2006) *

Edward MacDowell Medal The Edward MacDowell Medal is an award which has been given since 1960 to one person annually who has made an outstanding contribution to American culture and the arts. It is given by MacDowell, the first artist residency program in the United St ...

(1992)

Bibliography

Poetry collections

* 1947: ''The Beautiful Changes, and Other Poems'' * 1950: ''Ceremony, and Other Poems'' * 1955: ''A Bestiary'' * 1956: ''Things of This World'' – won

and

, both in 1957 * 1961: ''Advice to a Prophet, and Other Poems'' * 1969: ''Walking to Sleep: New Poems and Translations'' * 1976: ''The Mind-Reader: New Poems'' * 1988: ''New and Collected Poems'' – won

in 1989 * 2000: ''Mayflies: New Poems and Translations'' * 2004: ''Collected Poems, 1943–2004'' * 2010: ''Anterooms''

Editor

* 2003 ''

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

: Poems and Poetics''

Selected poems available online

* *

Prose collections

* 1976: ''Responses: Prose Pieces, 1953–1976'' * 1997: ''The Catbird's Song: Prose Pieces, 1963–1995''

Translated plays from other authors

Translated from Molière

* ''

'' (1955/1666) * ''

'' (1963/1669) * '' The School for Wives'' (1971/1662) * '' The Learned Ladies'' (1978/1672) * '' The School for Husbands'' (1992/1661) * '' The Imaginary Cuckold, or Sganarelle'' (1993/1660) * ''

Amphitryon Amphitryon (; Ancient Greek: Ἀμφιτρύων, ''gen''.: Ἀμφιτρύωνος; usually interpreted as "harassing either side", Latin: Amphitruo), in Greek mythology, was a son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns in Argolis. His mother was named ...

'' (1995/1668) * '' The Bungler'' (2000/1655) * ''

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. The original version of the story of Don Juan appears in the 1630 play (''The Trickster of Seville and t ...

'' (2001/1665) * ''Lovers' Quarrels'' (2009/1656) * ''Molière: The Complete Richard Wilbur Translations'' (2021)

From Jean Racine

* ''

Andromache In Greek mythology, Andromache (; , ) was the wife of Hector, daughter of Eetion, and sister to Podes. She was born and raised in the city of Cilician Thebe, over which her father ruled. The name means "man battler", "fighter of men" or "m ...

'' (1982/1667) * ''

Phaedra Phaedra may refer to: Mythology * Phaedra (mythology), Cretan princess, daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus Arts and entertainment * Phaedra (Cabanel), ''Phaedra'' (Cabanel), an 1880 painting by Alexandre Cabanel *House of Phaedra ...

'' (1986/1677) * '' The Suitors'' (2001/1668)

From Pierre Corneille

* '' The Theatre of Illusion'' (2007/1636) * '' Le Cid'' (2009/1636) * '' The Liar'' (2009/1643).

References

Citations

Sources

* .

External links

* *
"The World is Fundamentally a Great Wonder"
Richard Wilbur in conversation with Arlo Haskell, October 21, 2009. ''Littoral''. *Readings by Wilbur at the Key West Literary Seminar
199320032010
*
Ernest Hilbert reviews Richard Wilbur's ''Collected Poems'' for the ''New York Sun''
* * ttp://www.choralwiki.org/wiki/index.php/Richard_Wilbur Settings of Richard Wilbur's poetry in the Choral Public Domain Librarybr>Wilbur's "Then" (1950)
– Composer Jonathan Elliott sets Wilbur's poem to music for Monadnock Music; also featuring Wilbur's reading of the poem
Richard P. Wilbur (AC 1942) Papers
at the Amherst College Archives & Special Collections {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilbur, Richard 1921 births 2017 deaths American male poets Anglican poets Formalist poets United States National Medal of Arts recipients American poets laureate National Book Award winners Pulitzer Prize for Poetry winners Amherst College alumni Harvard Advocate alumni Wesleyan University faculty Smith College faculty Montclair High School (New Jersey) alumni People from North Caldwell, New Jersey Poets from New York City Poets from New Jersey Sonneteers Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Chevaliers of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques Bollingen Prize recipients French–English translators Broadway composers and lyricists United States Army personnel of World War II Anglican lay readers World War II poets 20th-century American translators United States Army soldiers Presidents of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Writers from Essex County, New Jersey