Wilbur, Richard (1921-2017), was an American poet. He won Pulitzer Prizes in poetry for Things of This World in 1957 and New and Collected Poems in 1989. He was co-winner of the 1971 Bollingen Prize for poetry for Walking to Sleep. Wilbur was appointed poet laureate of the United States for 1987-1988.
Wilbur often used myth and philosophy to illuminate ordinary experience. In his poems, the dark side of human failure is redeemed by a respect for intelligence, artistry, and “the things of this world.” Wilbur’s poems are often formal in style, have a musical quality, and are witty and mentally stimulating. From his first published work, The Beautiful Changes (1947), to Advice to a Prophet (1961), Wilbur tried to show how the mind and the senses can enrich understanding of the world.
Wilbur was born on March 1, 1921, in New York City. He wrote a children’s book, Loudmouse (1963). Responses (1976) is a collection of essays and literary criticism. The Catbird’s Song (1997) is a book of miscellaneous prose writings. Wilbur gained acclaim for his verse translations of comedies by the French playwright Molière and of tragedies by the French playwright Jean Racine. Wilbur’s Collected Poems: 1943-2004 was published in 2004. His Anterooms: New Poems and Translations was published in 2010. Wilbur died on Oct. 14, 2017.
