Anthony Hecht

Anthony Ivan Hecht, (January 16 1923-October 20 2004), was an American poet. His work combined a deep interest in form with a passionate desire to confront the horrors of 20th century history, with the Second World War, in which he fought, and the Holocaust being recurrent themes in his work.

Career

After the war ended, Hecht took advantage of the G.I. bill to study under the poet-critic John Crowe Ransom at Kenyon College, Ohio. Here he came into contact with fellow poets such as Robert Lowell, Randall Jarrell, Elizabeth Bishop, and Allen Tate. He later received his master's degree from Columbia University.

Related Topics:
G.I. bill - John Crowe Ransom - Kenyon College - Ohio - Robert Lowell - Randall Jarrell - Elizabeth Bishop - Allen Tate - Master's degree - Columbia University

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Hecht released his first collection, A Summoning of Stones, in 1954. In this work his mastery of a wide range of poetic forms were clear as was his awareness of the forces of history, which he had seen first hand. Even at this stage Hecht's poetry was often compared with that of Auden, with whom Hecht had become friends in 1951 during a holiday on the Italian island of Ischia, where Auden spent each summer. In 1993 Hecht published, The Hidden Law, a critical reading of Auden's body of work.

Related Topics:
A Summoning of Stones - 1954 - 1951 - Italian - Ischia - 1993 - The Hidden Law

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During his career Hecht won many fans, and prizes, including the Prix de Rome in 1951 and the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his second work The Hard Hours. It was within this volume that Hecht first addressed his own experiences of World War II - memories that had caused him to have a nervous breakdown in 1959. Hecht spent three months in hospital following his breakdown though was spared electric shock therapy, unlike Sylvia Plath, whom he had encountered whilst teaching at Smith College.

Related Topics:
Prix de Rome - 1968 - Pulitzer Prize for Poetry - The Hard Hours - Nervous breakdown - 1959 - Electric shock therapy - Sylvia Plath - Smith College

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Hecht's main source of income was as a teacher of poetry, most notably at the University of Rochester where he taught from 1967 to 1985. He also spent varying lengths of time teaching at other notable institutions such as Smith, Bard, Harvard, Georgetown, and Yale. Between 1982 and 1984 he held the esteemed position of Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.

Related Topics:
University of Rochester - 1967 - 1985 - Harvard - Georgetown - Yale - 1982 - 1984 - Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress

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In his later years Hecht won a number of notable literary awards including: the Bollingen Prize, and the Tanning Prize.

Related Topics:
Bollingen Prize - Tanning Prize

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