Randall Jarrell

Date of Birth: May 6, 1914

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Date of Death: October 14, 1965

Biography

Randall Jarrell was an esteemed American poet, literary critic, children’s author, essayist, and novelist. Born on May 6, 1914, in Nashville, Tennessee, Jarrell became known for his poignant and vividly descriptive poetry, often reflecting themes of war, childhood, and the human condition. He attended Vanderbilt University, where he was influenced by the Fugitive Poets, a group of Southern writers. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces and later wrote extensively about the war experience, which significantly shaped his literary voice. Jarrell’s works include the poetry collections “The Woman at the Washington Zoo” and “The Lost World,” as well as the children’s classic “The Bat-Poet.” He also served as the Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, a position now known as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. Jarrell’s critical essays, particularly those in “Poetry and the Age,” established him as a leading literary critic of his time. Tragically, his life was cut short when he died in a car accident on October 14, 1965.

5 Interesting Facts about Randall Jarrell

1. Randall Jarrell won the National Book Award for Poetry in 1960 for his collection “The Woman at the Washington Zoo.”

2. He served as the 11th Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1956 to 1958.

3. Jarrell wrote a novel, “Pictures from an Institution,” which is a satire of academic life and is still widely read today.

4. He was a close friend and mentor to many significant literary figures, including Robert Lowell and John Berryman.

5. Jarrell’s children’s book “The Animal Family” was a Newbery Honor Book in 1966.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Randall Jarrell

1. “The dark, the light, the dark, the light, the dark — that’s life.”

2. “It is better to entertain an idea than to take it home to live with you for the rest of your life.”

3. “A good poet is someone who manages, in a lifetime of standing out in thunderstorms, to be struck by lightning five or six times.”

4. “Art is long, and critics are the insects of a day.”

5. “One of the most obvious facts about grownups to a child is that they have forgotten what it is like to be a child.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Randall Jarrell’s highest net worth is not well-documented, but as a prominent poet and critic, his influence and legacy in the literary world are invaluable.