John Ciardi was an Italian-American poet,translator and etymologist.While primarily known as a poet,he also translated Dante’s Divine Comedy,wrote several volumes of children’s poetry,pursued etymology,contributed to the Saturday Review as a columnist and long-time poetry editor and directed the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference in Vermont.
In 1959,Ciardi published a book on how to read,write and teach poetry,How Does a Poem Mean?,which has proven to be among the most-used books of its kind.
At the peak of his popularity in the early 1960’s,Ciardi also had a network television program on CBS,Accent.Ciardi’s impact on poetry is perhaps best measured through the younger poets whom he influenced as a teacher and as editor of the Saturday Review.
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