W. S. Merwin, one of the most prolific and praised poets of the last half century, is a model for creative engagement with the world. Eschewing artistic isolation, Merwin balances the life of the poet with his efforts as a translator, environmental activist, pacifist, and memoirist. He is often likened to Walt Whitman for his persistent exploration of the meaning of America. Merwin’s poems are praised by reviewers for their sparsity, soberness, and seduction—seemingly contradictory impulses that are deftly resolved by this master writer.

W.S. Merwin is the author of over twenty books of poetry, nearly twenty books of translations (including Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (2004) and works by Dante, Federico García Lorca and Pablo Neruda), and numerous memoirs. His poetry has won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for The Carrier of Ladders (1970). A new volume of poetry, Shadow of Sirius, will be published in the fall.

Click here to watch W.S. Merwin in a video excerpt from The American Academy of Poets.

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Photo credit: Mark Hanauer