Date of Birth: May 9, 1938
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Date of Death: January 9, 2023
Biography
Charles Simic, born Dušan Simić, was a Serbian-American poet renowned for his evocative and enigmatic works. He was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), and experienced the turmoil of World War II firsthand, which profoundly influenced his poetic themes. In 1954, he immigrated to the United States with his family, settling in Chicago. Simic began writing poetry in the 1960s, and his work quickly gained recognition for its surreal and often darkly humorous style. Simic published numerous poetry collections, including “The World Doesn’t End,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1990. He also served as the Poet Laureate of the United States from 2007 to 2008. Throughout his career, Simic’s poetry has been celebrated for its economy of language, imagistic clarity, and ability to capture the absurdities and profundities of human existence. Besides poetry, Simic was a prolific essayist and translator, bringing many Eastern European poets’ works to the English-speaking world. His contributions to literature have earned him numerous awards and honors, including the MacArthur Fellowship and the Griffin Poetry Prize.
5 Interesting Facts about Charles Simic
1. Charles Simic won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1990 for his collection “The World Doesn’t End.”
2. He served as the 15th Poet Laureate of the United States from 2007 to 2008.
3. Simic emigrated from Yugoslavia to the United States at the age of 16.
4. He was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship, often referred to as the “Genius Grant,” in 1984.
5. Simic was a prolific translator, introducing many Eastern European poets to English-speaking audiences.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Charles Simic
1. “Poetry is an orphan of silence. The words never quite equal the experience behind them.”
2. “What is beautiful? Whatever is perceived joyfully is beautiful. Bliss is beautiful.”
3. “Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all the others were making ships.”
4. “The time of minor poets is coming. They are the ones who will see the world anew.”
5. “The world is beautiful but has a disease called man.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
Charles Simic’s highest estimated net worth was approximately $1 million.
Children
Charles Simic had two children, Ana Simic and Philip Simic.
Relevant Links
1. [Poetry Foundation – Charles Simic](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/charles-simic
2. [Academy of American Poets – Charles Simic](https://poets.org/poet/charles-simic
