The Writer

“The Beautiful Changes” by Richard Wilbur (1947)

“The Beautiful Changes” is one of Wilbur’s earlier poems. He uses a structured poetic form to express the nature of change and time.

“The Thought Fox” by Ted Hughes (1973)

Hughes’s “The Thought Fox” is a poem about the creative process and finding the right words as a writer.

“A House Called Tomorrow” by Alberto Ríos (2018)

In Ríos’s “A House Called Tomorrow,” the poet issues a call to action for a young writer as they begin their journey through life, following a similar thematic format to “The Writer.”

“Richard Wilbur, The Art of Poetry No. 22” by Peter A. Stitt, Helen McCloy Ellison & Ellesa Clay High (1977)

Interviewees Stitt, Ellison, and High conduct a mid-career interview with Richard Wilbur. The poet discusses his inspiration behind “The Writer” and gives insight into the poetic process for other poems.

“Poetic Patriarch” by Craig Lambert (2008)

This article by Lambert in Harvard Magazine, subtitled “The singular Richard Wilbur displays a ‘Mozartean felicity’ with verse,” provides a detailed exploration of Wilbur’s complex career and poetic style. The article draws on influences from Wilbur’s early life.