author
Marianne Moore
1887–1972
A leading voice in American modernist poetry, this sharp-eyed writer became famous for exact language, unusual forms, and a wit that could be both playful and piercing. Her poems often turn close observation—especially of animals, art, and everyday life—into something surprising.
1 Audiobook
Poems
by Marianne Moore
About the author
Born in Kirkwood, Missouri, in 1887, Marianne Moore studied at Bryn Mawr College and went on to become one of the most distinctive poets of the 20th century. Her work is known for its precision, irony, and formal invention, and she was also an important critic, translator, and editor.
Moore helped shape modern poetry not only through her own books but also through her literary work in New York, including editing The Dial. Readers and fellow writers admired the way she could combine intelligence, restraint, humor, and vivid detail, often drawing on the natural world in memorable ways.
Her later recognition included major literary honors such as the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. She died in 1972, but her poetry still feels fresh: curious, exact, and full of unexpected life.