Rexroth, << REHKS rawth, >> Kenneth (1905-1982), was an American poet. He called for freedom from traditional styles in poetry, which he considered artificial. Many critics called Rexroth the forerunner of the beat movement of the 1950’s. Beat writers attacked the use of what they considered outmoded traditions in art.
Rexroth’s poems generally show he had a more complex, interesting, and informed mind than most beat writers. The Dragon and the Unicorn (1952) is a book-length story poem that explores the nature of love. In Defense of the Earth (1956) contains love poetry, poems directed toward young people, and translations of Japanese poetry. The Collected Shorter Poems (1967) and The Collected Longer Poems (1968) confirmed Rexroth’s reputation as a leader of many poetry movements on the West Coast. Rexroth was a painter and essayist and also translated Chinese, Greek, and Latin poetry. The World Outside the Window: The Selected Essays of Kenneth Rexroth was published in 1987. Rexroth was born on Dec. 22, 1905, in South Bend, Indiana. He died on June 6, 1982.
