Pulitzer Prize Poetry Winner
Yin
by Carolyn Kizer
Summary
Mixing classical allusion, mythic figures, and unsparing autobiography, these poems examine female experience across generations. Kizer's voice is by turns urbane, satirical, and angry, deploying formal range from epigram to long meditative sequence. The collection brought a sharply feminist intelligence into a tradition she had spent decades reshaping from within.
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Historical Context & Significance
Kizer was a trailblazer for women in the literary world and served as the first director of literature for the NEA.