1952 in poetry.html



Events

• November — The Group British poetry movement of the 1950s and 1960s began at Downing College, Cambridge University, Philip Hobsbaum along with two friends — Tony Davis and Neil Morris — dissatisfied with the way poetry was read aloud in the university, decided to place a notice in the undergraduate newspaper Varsity for people interested in forming a poetry discussion group. Five others, including Peter Redgrove came along to the first meeting. This poetry discussion group met once a week during term. The group was later moved to London.
• E. E. Cummings is appointed to a Charles Eliot Norton Professorship at Harvard.

Works published

• R. Berndt, editor, Djanggawul, anthology of Australian poetry^[1]
• Robert Creeley, Le Fou, American published in Europe^[2]
• Nissim Ezekiel, Time To Change, Indian living at this time in the United Kingdom^[3]
• Michael Hamburger, translator into English from the German original of Austrian Georg Trakl's Decline: 12 Poems, Guido Morris / Latin Press,
• David Jones, The Anathemata
• Dylan Thomas, In Country Sleep, including the poem "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night"
• Wisława Szymborska: Dlatego żyjemy ("That's Why We Are Alive"), Poland
• R.S. Thomas, An Acre of Land

New Zealand

• James K. Baxter, Louis Johnson and Anton Vogt, Poems Unpleasant, Christchurch: Pegasus Press
• A. R. D. Fairburn:
  • Three Poems^[4]
  • Strange Rendezvous^[4]
• Keith Sinclair, Songs for a Summer and Other Poems
• Robert Thompson, editor, 13 New Zealand Poets

Criticism

• Lawrence Durrell, A Key To Modern Poetry

Awards and honors

• Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress (later the post would be called "Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress"): William Carlos Williams appointed this year (but did not serve).
• Bollingen Prize: Marianne Moore
• Frost Medal: Carl Sandburg
• National Book Award for Poetry: Marianne Moore, Collected Poems
• Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Marianne Moore, Collected Poems
• King's Gold Medal for Poetry: Andrew Young
• Fellowship of the Academy of American Poets: Padraic Colum

Births

• January 17 — Barry Dempster, a Canadian poet and novelist
• January 20 — Roo Borson, Canada
• January 24 — Alice Fulton, an American poet, author, and MacArthur Foundation fellow
• March 12 — Naomi Shihab Nye, American poet and songwriter born to a Palestinian father and American mother
• June 5 — Mark Jarman, American poet and critic often identified with the "New Narrative" branch of the New Formalism
• August 5 — D. C. Reid, a Canadian poet, novelist and short story writer
• August 28 — Rita Dove, an African American poet and author and former Poet Laureate of the United States
• October 26 — Andrew Motion English poetry poet, novelist and biographer and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom.
• November 7 — Malca Litovitz, Canadian poet, author and educator
• December 20 — Sky Gilbert, a Canadian poet, writer, actor, academic and drag performer
• date not known:
  • Jimmy Santiago Baca, American poet and writer
  • Roo Borson, American-born Canadian poet
  • Judith Ortiz Cofer born in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico, an author of poetry, short stories, autobiography, essays, and young adult novels
  • Carla Harryman, American poet and playwright
  • Jan Horner
  • Carole Langille
  • Dorianne Laux, American poet
  • Alberto Rios American poet and writer
  • Carolyn Smart, English-Canadian poet and educator
  • Gary Soto, Mexican-American poet and author
  • Susan Stewart — American poet, academic and literary critic
  • Maxine Chernoff — American poet and writer

Deaths

• September 26 — George Santayana, Spanish-American philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist
• November 16 — Charles Maurras, 84, French author, poet, and critic
• November 18 — Paul Éluard, 56, French poet who broke with Surrealism when he became a Stalinist
• November 23 — Aaro Hellaakoski, Finnish poet
• date not known:
  • Roger Vitrac, poet and dramatist
  • Arthur Sheerly Cripps

See also

Poetry portal

• Poetry
• List of poetry awards
• List of years in poetry

Notes

1. ^ Preminger, Alex and T.V.F. Brogan, et al., editors, The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, 1993, Princeton University Press and MJF Books, "Australian Poetry" article, Anthologies section, p 108
2. ^ Everett, Nicholas, "Robert Creeley's Life and Career" at the Modern American Poetry website, accessed May 1, 2008
3. ^ [1]Joffe, Lawrence, "Nissim Ezekiel: Gifted poet nurturing English-language verse in India", obituary, The Guardian, March 9, 2004, accessed October 16, 2007
4. ^ ^{a b} [ "A. R. D. Fairburn" article] in The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 1966 website, accessed April 21, 2008