Richard Wilbur

Richard Purdy Wilbur (1921–2017) was an American poet and literary translator of the World War II generation, known for his witty, rhymed poetry in traditional forms. Foundation. He translated verse dramas by Molière, Corneille, and Racine, collaborated with Leonard Bernstein on the lyrics for the opera Candide, and published notable collections including Things of This World (1956) and New and Collected Poems (1988). Appointed U.S. Poet Laureate in 1987, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice, in 1957 and 1989.