Opening the Hand: Poems

by W.S. Merwin

Poems deal with the author's family life and early years, the senses, other poets, nature and mortality

Genres: Poetry

83 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

William Stanley Merwin was an American poet, credited with over fifty books of poetry, translation and prose.

William Stanley Merwin (September 30, 1927 – March 15, 2019) was an American poet who wrote more than fifty books of poetry and prose, and produced many works in translation. During the 1960s anti-war movement, Merwin's unique craft was thematically characterized by indirect, unpunctuated narration. In the 1980s and 1990s, his writing influence derived from an interest in Buddhist philosophy and deep ecology. Residing in a rural part of Maui, Hawaii, he wrote prolifically and was dedicated to the restoration of the island's rainforests.

Merwin received many honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1971 and 2009; the National Book Award for Poetry in 2005, and the Tanning Prize—one of the highest honors bestowed by the Academy of American Poets—as well as the Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings. In 2010, the Library of Congress named him the 17th United States Poet Laureate.

Reviews

[Stephen Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is divided into three parts and the first two are quite a bit under Merwin's standards. The third section is really good, but taken as a whole, the book is a disappointment.

[Mills College Library]

811.54 M576o 1983