Poet's Corner

Poetry Timeline

700-1799 | 1800-1899 | 1900-1924 | 1925-1949 | 1950-1974| 1975-

1975

Nikki Giovanni's "Poetry Is a Tressel" is published in her collection The Women and the Men.

Italian poet Eugenio Montale is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Gary Snyder is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection Turtle Island.

1976

Seamus Heaney's "A Drink of Water" is published in his collection Field Work.

Simon Ortiz's "My Father's Song" and "Hunger in New York City" are published in his collection Going for the Rain.

Teresa Palomo Acosta's "My Mother Pieced Quilts" is published in the collection Festival de Flor y Canto: An Anthology of Chicano Literature, edited by Alurista and others.

N. Scott Momaday's "A Simile" and "To A Child Running with Outstretched Arms in Canyon de Chelly" are published in his collection The Gourd Dancer.

John Ashberry is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror.

1976—1978

Robert Hayden serves as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.

1977

Garrett Hongo's "And Your Soul Shall Dance" is published in the Winter issue of the Journal of Ethnic Studies; later included in his collection Yellow Light, 1982.

Spanish poet Vicente Aleixandre is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

James Merill is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection Divine Comedies.

1978

Gary Soto's "The Space" is published in his collection The Tale of Sunlight.

Howard Nemerov is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his Collected Poems.

1978—1980

William Meredith serves as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.

1979

Greek poet Odysseus Elytis is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Robert Penn Warren is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection Now and Then.

1980

Rita Dove's "Geometry" and "This Life" are published in her collection The Yellow House on the Corner.

Alicia Ostriker's "His Speed and Strength" is published in her collection The Mother/Child Papers.

Robert E. Hayden dies.

James A. Wright dies.

Donald Justice is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection Selected Poems.

Polish American poet Czeslaw Milosz is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

1981

Lorna Dee Cervantes's "Freeway 280" is published in her collection Emplumada.

Leslie Marmon Silko's "Story from Bear Country" is published in her collection Storyteller.

James Schuyler is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection The Morning of the Poem.

1981—1982

Maxine Kumin serves as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.

1982

Archibald Macleish dies.

Sylvia Plath is posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for The Collected Poems.

1982—1984

Anthony Hecht serves as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.

1983

Rita Dove's "Grape Sherbet" is published in her collection Museum.

Galway Kinnell is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection Selected Poems.

1984

Ted Hughes is named Poet Laureate of England.

Mary Oliver is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her collection American Primitive.

1984—1985

Robert Fitzgerald is appointed Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress but does not serve due to illness; Reed Whittemore serves as Interim Consultant.

1985

Gary Soto's "Oranges" is published in his collection Black Hair.

Carolyn Kizer is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her collection Yin.

1985—1986

Gwendolyn Brooks appointed Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.

1986

Henry Taylor is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection The Flying Change.

1986—1987

Robert Penn Warren serves as Poet Laureate of the United States.

1987

Martín Espada's "We Live by What We See at Night " is published in his collection Trumpets from the Islands of Their Eviction.

Robert Francis dies.

Russian American poet Joseph Brodsky is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Rita Dove is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her collection Thomas and Beulah.

1987—1988

Richard Wilbur serves as Poet Laureate of the United States.

1988

Cathy Song's "Magic Island" is published in her collection Frameless Windows, Squares of Light.

William Meredith is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection Partial Accounts: New and Selected Poems.

1988—1990

Howard Nemerov serves as Poet Laureate of the United States.

1989

Louise Erdrich's "Bidwell Ghost" is published in her collection Baptism of Desire.

May Swenson dies.

Richard Wilbur is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection New and Collected Poems.

1990

Colleen McElroy's "A Pièd" is published in her collection What Madness Brought Me Here.

Mexican poet Octavio Paz is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Charles Simic is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection The World Doesn't End.

1990—1991

Mark Strand serves as Poet Laureate of the United States.

1991—1992

Joseph Brodsky serves as Poet Laureate of the United States.

1991

Mona Van Duyn is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her collection Near Changes.

1992

Eve Merriam dies.

James Tate is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection Selected Poems.

1992—1993

Mona Van Duyn serves as Poet Laureate of the United States.

1992

West Indian poet Derek Walcott is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

1993

William Stafford dies.

Louise Gluck is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her collection The Wild Iris.

Maya Angelou reads her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at the inauguration of President Clinton.

1993—1994

Rita Dove serves as Poet Laureate of the United States.

1994

Robert Hass is named Poet Laureate of the United States.

1994

Yusef Komunyakaa is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection Neon Vernacular.

Irish poet Seamus Heaney is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

1995

Philip Levine is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his collection The Simple Truth.

1996

Jorie Graham is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her collection The Dream of the Unified Field.

1997

Lisel Mueller is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for her collection Alive Together: New and Selected Poems.

Robert Pinsky becomes U.S. Poet Laureate. (1997 - 2000)

1998

• Charles Wright wins the Pulitzer Prize for Black Zodiac.
• Ted Hughes dies.
• Octavio Paz dies.

1999

• Andrew Motion becomes British Poet Laureate.

2000

• Stanley Kunitz appointed U.S. Poet Laureate. (2000-2001)
• Karl Shapiro dies.

2001

• Billy Collins appointed U.S Poet Laureate. (2001-2003)

2003

• Louise Glück appointed U.S Poet Laureate. (2003-2004)

2004

Scotland created its first poet laureate. Edwin Morgan was appointed the Scots makar (poet) by the first minister, Jack McConnell, who said the Glasgow-born poet was the obvious choice.

Source: Exploring Poetry, Gale, 1997.

700-1799 | 1800-1899 | 1900-1924 | 1925-1949 | 1950-1974| 1975-