John Ciardi
John Ciardi Born (1916-06-24)June 24, 1916 Boston, Massachusetts Died March 30, 1986(1986-03-30) (aged 69) Metuchen, New Jersey Occupation Poet, teacher, etymologist, translator Nationality United States Ethnicity Italian Citizenship United States Alma mater Tufts University University of Michigan Notable works La Divina Commedia translation Notable awards Hopwood Award Spouse Judith Hostetter Children Three John Anthony Ciardi (/ˈtʃɑrdiː/ CHAR-dee; Italian: [ˈtʃardi]; June 24, 1916 – March 30, 1986) was an American poet, translator, and etymologist. While primarily known as a poet, he also translated Dante's Divine Comedy, wrote several volumes of children's poetry, pursued etymology, contributed to the Saturday Review as a columnist and long-time poetry editor, and directed the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference in Vermont. In 1959, Ciardi published a book on how to read, write, and teach poetry, How Does a Poem Mean?, which has proven to be among the most-used books of its kind. At the peak of his popularity in the early 1960s, Ciardi also had a network television program on CBS, Accent. Ciardi's impact on poetry is perhaps best measured through the younger poets whom he influenced as a teacher and as editor of the Saturday Review.