Louise Elisabeth Glück (1943–2023) was an American poet and essayist, acclaimed for her introspective and emotionally profound poetry. She won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature for her unmistakable voice, which, with austere beauty, makes individual existence universal.
Born in New York City, Glück grew up on Long Island. She attended Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University but did not complete a degree. Her struggle with anorexia nervosa shaped her themes of loss, isolation, and renewal. She served as U.S. Poet Laureate (2003–04) and taught at Yale and Stanford.
Glück’s poetry often draws on mythology, nature, and personal experience, exploring trauma, desire, and identity. Her début collection, Firstborn (1968,) introduced her distinctive style, while The House on Marshland (1975) established her reputation. She won the Pulitzer for The Wild Iris (1992) and the National Book Award for Faithful and Virtuous Night (2014.)
Other notable works include The Triumph of Achilles (1985,) Ararat (1990,) Meadowlands (1996,) Averno (2006,) A Village Life (2009,) and Winter Recipes from the Collective (2021.) She also wrote Proofs and Theories (1994,) a collection of essays on poetry.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Louise Gluck
Of two sisters one is always the watcher, one the dancer.
—Louise Gluck
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