Post by katower35 on May 20, 2012 18:00:32 GMT -5
Born in 1939 in a small Iowa town, Ted Kooser is best known for his plainspoken poems, inspired by his Mid-Western descent. Kooser is not only the author of 11 volumes of poetry, but the 2004 National Poet Laureate, as well as the Pulitzer Prize winner for his collection of poems, Delights and Shadows.
However, Kooser was not originally compelled to be a full time poet. After failing out of the graduate writing program at the University of Nebraska, he became an insurance executive. It was not until the 1990’s that he realized how important poetry actually was in his life. In 1998, he was diagnosed with oral cancer and forced to retire from his job of 35 years. This frightening experience showed Kooser how easily the beauty in life could be taken away and inspired many of his most praised works. Addressing this time of his life, Kooser has stated, "It seems I have come to an age at which I can't stop noticing the last of things and want to hold in my eyes their summer brightness".
Reflecting this desire to remember the “summer brightness” of life, the majority of Kooser’s poems focus on the beauty and extraordinariness of his everyday surroundings, from farmers, to family ancestors, heirlooms, love, and the lives of the people around him. Through these relatable themes, he strives to take poetry away from the elite. For years Kooser would read his poems to his secretary to ensure that the general populace could enjoy and understand their meanings.
Literary critic Dana Gioia has described Kooser as a poet “who writes so convincingly in a manner the average American can understand and appreciate” and his poems as “small but genuine insights into the world of everyday experience”.
In fact, Kooser’s ideal reader is the average American, one that “should be wearing a raincoat, a old one, dirty from not having money enough for the cleaners”, and not those who spent their lives studying poetry and literature. In order to raise the visibility of poetry to this common person, Kooser has partnered with the Poetry Foundation. Together they have created the “American Life in Poetry” program, a program that offers a free weekly poem to newspapers across the country in hopes of exposing more Americans to the world of poetry.
Overall, because of Kooser’s plainspoken approach to poetry, he has become extremely successful in appealing to an audience of more common people, especially mid-westerners, who
can relate to his regional poetry style. He has found a way to appeal to the average American and express their thoughts through his words. Kooser aims to expose the wonderful things of ordinary life that most people would not notice unless looking.
I hope his works have been able to expose some of this beauty and wonder to all of you as well. Without further delay, it is my great honor to welcome Mr. Ted Kooser to the stage.
Word Count: 491
However, Kooser was not originally compelled to be a full time poet. After failing out of the graduate writing program at the University of Nebraska, he became an insurance executive. It was not until the 1990’s that he realized how important poetry actually was in his life. In 1998, he was diagnosed with oral cancer and forced to retire from his job of 35 years. This frightening experience showed Kooser how easily the beauty in life could be taken away and inspired many of his most praised works. Addressing this time of his life, Kooser has stated, "It seems I have come to an age at which I can't stop noticing the last of things and want to hold in my eyes their summer brightness".
Reflecting this desire to remember the “summer brightness” of life, the majority of Kooser’s poems focus on the beauty and extraordinariness of his everyday surroundings, from farmers, to family ancestors, heirlooms, love, and the lives of the people around him. Through these relatable themes, he strives to take poetry away from the elite. For years Kooser would read his poems to his secretary to ensure that the general populace could enjoy and understand their meanings.
Literary critic Dana Gioia has described Kooser as a poet “who writes so convincingly in a manner the average American can understand and appreciate” and his poems as “small but genuine insights into the world of everyday experience”.
In fact, Kooser’s ideal reader is the average American, one that “should be wearing a raincoat, a old one, dirty from not having money enough for the cleaners”, and not those who spent their lives studying poetry and literature. In order to raise the visibility of poetry to this common person, Kooser has partnered with the Poetry Foundation. Together they have created the “American Life in Poetry” program, a program that offers a free weekly poem to newspapers across the country in hopes of exposing more Americans to the world of poetry.
Overall, because of Kooser’s plainspoken approach to poetry, he has become extremely successful in appealing to an audience of more common people, especially mid-westerners, who
can relate to his regional poetry style. He has found a way to appeal to the average American and express their thoughts through his words. Kooser aims to expose the wonderful things of ordinary life that most people would not notice unless looking.
I hope his works have been able to expose some of this beauty and wonder to all of you as well. Without further delay, it is my great honor to welcome Mr. Ted Kooser to the stage.
Word Count: 491