Pulitzer Prize Poetry Winner

Collected Poems

by Marianne Moore

Summary

Moore's gathered work showcases her precise, encyclopedic eye trained on pangolins, jerboas, baseball, and the moral life of objects. She writes in idiosyncratic syllabic stanzas studded with quotation, blending zoological exactitude with sly ethical observation. Her example reshaped American poetry's sense of what subject matter and what kind of attention a poem could sustain.

Historical Context & Significance

Moore was known for her eccentric style and was a major influence on poets like Elizabeth Bishop.