Theodore Roethke
1908-1963
"... I have tried to put [the details of my life] down in poems as barely and
honestly as possible. ..."
Born in Saginaw, Michigan, Theodore Roethke was the son of German immigrants who sold flowers for a living. The family's greenhouse came to be an important symbol in Roethke's poetry, much of which deals with nature.
After a half-hearted attempt to study law at the University of Michigan, Roethke switched to literature. In addition to publishing poetry, Roethke eventually taught at a number of universities, from Vermont to Washington State. He came to be recognized as a major American poet and won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. He was also a highly popular teacher, considered a natural inspiration to his students. A large man—standing over six feet tall and weighing more than 200 pounds—Roethke brought a unique intensity to the classroom. Once, to stimulate students' writing, he asked them to describe the action he was about to perform. Then he climbed through a classroom window and moved along the outside ledge, making faces at the class through the windows.
Despite his many accomplishments, Roethke suffered from alcoholism and mental illness throughout his life, occasionally needing to be hospitalized. Still, it is felt by many that if Roethke had lived to at least the age of 60, he would have realized his dream of winning a Nobel Prize.
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