Theodore Roethke
Theodore Roethke was an influential American poet born on May 25, 1908, in Saginaw, Michigan. His early experiences in a greenhouse, owned by his father and uncle, deeply influenced his poetry, which often reflects a profound connection to nature and life. Roethke attended the University of Michigan, where he excelled as an athlete, and later pursued graduate studies at Harvard University. Throughout his career, he held teaching positions at various institutions, including the University of Washington, where he gained recognition as a poet-in-residence.
Despite facing personal challenges, including mental health struggles that impacted his teaching career, Roethke's literary talent eventually garnered significant accolades. His fourth book, "The Waking," won the Pulitzer Prize, marking a turning point in his recognition as a major poet. He was known for his unexpected blend of a rugged persona and a gentle fascination with the natural world. Roethke's later years were marked by a flourishing reputation, and he remained a popular figure among students until his untimely death from a heart attack in 1963. His legacy continues through works like "The Far Field," published posthumously, which showcases his enduring poetic contributions.
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Subject Terms
Theodore Roethke
Poet
- Born: May 25, 1908
- Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan
- Died: August 1, 1963
- Place of death: Bainbridge Island, Washington
American poet
Biography
Theodore Roethke (REHT-kee) was born in Saginaw, Michigan, on May 25, 1908. Much of his childhood was spent in and around the greenhouse owned jointly by his father and his uncle. It is not surprising, then, that his poetry shows a familiarity with and knowledge of growing things and a reverence for life in all forms, large and small.
Roethke attended the University of Michigan, where he earned distinction as an athlete, and later did graduate work at Harvard University. His livelihood for many years was teaching. He held positions at Lafayette, Penn State, and Bennington and was professor of English and poet-in-residence at the University of Washington. While at Bennington, he met and married Beatrice Heath O’Connell, who was a student there and whom Roethke celebrated in moving love poems.
Roethke’s first book of poems, Open House, received little critical acclaim. Twelve years later, however, his fourth book, The Waking, received the Pulitzer Prize, the first of a series of major honors and awards culminating in the National Book Award, given posthumously to The Far Field.
Roethke’s physical appearance and demeanor defied the stereotype of the conventional poet. While he read much as a child, he endeavored to be accepted by peer groups that believed intelligence and bookish sensibilities were signs of effeminacy. Even at the University of Michigan, Roethke’s drunkenness was part of his tough, big-bear persona (he was a large man, weighing in excess of 200 pounds). However, his apparent strength was modified by a surprising gentleness and fascination for nature which led to his decision to become a teacher and poet.
Nonetheless, the rigors of teaching often forced Roethke into periods of absolute exhaustion as he tried to balance his vocation and advocation. He suffered mental breakdowns. While the University of Michigan terminated his contract because of his manic depression, the University of Washington accepted it as an unfortunate illness belonging to a talented man.
In his last years Roethke gave readings at many colleges and was extremely popular with his student audiences. He died suddenly of a heart attack while swimming in August, 1963, his creative powers at a peak and his reputation at its highest. Roethke was survived by his wife, Beatrice, to whom the literary world owes its gratitude for assembling the last poems that make up The Far Field.
Bibliography
Bloom, Harold, ed. Theodore Roethke. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. A collection of critical essays on Roethke ranging from the early trailblazing work of Kenneth Burke to the views of Thomas Gardner and James Applewhite. Contains an index and a bibliography.
Bogen, Don. Theodore Roethke and the Writing Process. Athens: Ohio University Press, 1991. A critical study of Roethke’s writing and an analysis of his philosophy. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Bowers, Neal. Theodore Roethke: The Journey from I to Otherwise. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1982. Emphasizes Roethke’s use of his episodes of mental illness and other states of nonordinary reality as the source and subject of much of his best poetry. Augmented by an index and a bibliography.
Kalaidjian, Walter B. Understanding Theodore Roethke. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1987. An introductory reading of Roethke’s work with emphasis on the poet’s concern with uniting humankind with nature and using unusual psychological states as gateways to new knowledge of the self and the world. Supplemented by an index and a thoroughly annotated bibliography of other criticism.
Kusch, Robert. My Toughest Mentor: Theodore Roethke and William Carlos Williams (1940-1948). Lewisburg, Pa.: Bucknell University Press, 1999. A study of the correspondence between Roethke and Williams and the relationship they developed. Provides some biographical and historical background to the works of both authors. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Malkoff, Karl. Theodore Roethke: An Introduction to the Poetry. New York: Columbia University Press, 1966. Presents a psychoanalytic reading of the poet’s work. As a result, many later critics often begin by agreeing or disagreeing with Malkoff, using his work as a benchmark from which to begin their own studies. Contains an index and a bibliography of works by and about Roethke.
Seager, Allan. The Glass House: The Life of Theodore Roethke. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1968. This is a full-length biography of Roethke, written by a scholar and novelist who was also a close friend of the poet.
Stiffler, Randall. Theodore Roethke: The Poet and His Critics. Chicago: American Library Association, 1986. Stiffler reviews and evaluates the critical reception of Roethke’s works. Contains an index and a bibliography.
Wolff, George. Theodore Roethke. Boston: Twayne, 1981. One of the Twayne series of introductory guides to American authors, this book offers a good brief review of the poet’s life and work. Contains an index and an extensive annotated bibliography.