She’s widely celebrated as a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate, with her most notable works including North & South, A Cold Spring, and Questions of Travel. Her legacy, deeply rooted in lyrical precision and emotional depth, continues to influence generations of readers and writers alike. One of the defining moments in her career came in 1969 when her Complete Poems collection was honored with the National Book Award—a testament to her enduring impact on American literature. Before she rose to fame, she pursued her education at Vassar College, initially majoring in musical composition, which perhaps shaped the rhythmic elegance found throughout her poetry. Tragedy marked her early years: her father passed away when she was just an infant, and by the age of five, her mother was institutionalized due to mental illness. As a result, she spent her formative years being raised by her grandparents in Nova Scotia and later by an aunt in Boston—experiences that subtly echo through the themes of loss and identity in her work.
She was able to embark on a series of trips to South America in her later years, all thanks to the inheritance she received from her father. It really gave her the freedom to explore places she’d always dreamed of, and she made the most of it. Her inheritance played a big role in shaping those final, adventurous chapters of her life.