Career Anthony Hecht

hecht s grave @ bard college cemetery in annandale-on-hudson, new york

hecht released first collection, summoning of stones, in 1954. @ stage hecht s poetry compared of auden, whom hecht had become friends in 1951 during holiday on italian island of ischia, auden spent each summer. in 1993 hecht published hidden law, critical reading of auden s body of work. in second book, hard hours, hecht first addressed own experiences of world war ii - memories had caused him have nervous breakdown in 1959. hecht spent 3 months in hospital following breakdown, although spared electric shock therapy, unlike sylvia plath, whom had encountered while teaching @ smith college.

hecht s main source of income teacher of poetry, notably @ university of rochester, taught 1967 1985. spent varying lengths of time teaching @ other notable institutions such smith, bard, harvard, georgetown, , yale. between 1982 , 1984, held esteemed position of poet laureate consultant in poetry library of congress. hecht won number of literary awards including: 1968 pulitzer prize poetry (for hard hours), 1983 bollingen prize, 1988 ruth lilly poetry prize, 1989 aiken taylor award modern american poetry, 1997 wallace stevens award, 1999/2000 frost medal, , tanning prize.

hecht died on october 20, 2004, @ home in washington, d. c.; buried @ cemetery @ bard college. 1 month later, on november 17, hecht awarded national medal of arts, accepted on behalf wife, helen hecht.

the anthony hecht poetry prize awarded annually waywiser press.