1976 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature.
Events
- Two poems written in 1965 by Mao Zedong just before the Cultural Revolution, including "Two Birds: A Dialogue", are published on January 1
Works published in English
Australia">Australian literature">Australia
- R. Berndt, Love Songs of Arnhem Land
- Anne Elder, posthumous, Crazy Woman
- John Forbes, Tropical Skiing, Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
- Les Murray, The Vernacular Republic Selected Poems
- John Tranter, The Alphabet Murders, Angus & Robertson
- Chris Wallace-Crabbe, The Foundations of Joy, Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
Canada">Canadian poetry">Canada
- Earle Birney:
- * Alphabeings and Other Seasyours. London, Ont.: Pikadilly Press.
- * The Rugging and the Moving Times: poems new and uncollected 1976. Coatsworth, ON: Black Moss Press.
- Gary Geddes, War & Other Measures
- Roland Giguere, Miron translated from French
- Archibald Lampman, Lampman’s Sonnets: The Complete Sonnets of Archibald Lampman, Margaret Coulby Whitridge ed..
- Irving Layton, For My Brother Jesus. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart.
- Irving Layton, The Uncollected Poems of Irving Layton: 1936-59. Ed. W. David John. Ottawa, ON: Mosaic Press.
- Dennis Lee. The Death of Harold Ladoo. Vancouver: Kanchenjunga Press.
- Al Purdy, Sundance at Dusk
- James Reaney, Selected Longer Poems.
- Joe Rosenblatt, Top Soil, Selected Poems . Press Porcepic.
- Charles Sangster, Norland echoes and other strains and lyrics, ed. Frank M. Tierney
- Raymond Souster, To Hell with Poetry. Burton, Ohio.
- New Provinces reprinted—first anthology of modernist poetry in Canada, including work by F. R. Scott, E. J. Pratt, Robert Finch, A. J. M. Smith, Leo Kennedy, A. M. Klein.
India">Indian poetry">India in English">Indian poetry in English">English
- Arun Kolatkar, Jejuri, Bombay: Clearing House, India.
- Nissim Ezekiel:
- * Hymns in Darkness, Delhi, Oxford University Press
- * Poster Prayers,
- Gieve Patel, How Do You Withstand, Body, Bombay, Clearing House, Indian, Indian poetry in English-language
- Keki Daruwalla, Crossing of Rivers, an experimental work published by the author's own publishing house; Bombay: Ezra-Fakir Press
- Adil Jussawalla, Missing Person,
- Jayanta Mahapatra:
- * A Father's Hours, Calcutta: United Writers
- * A Rain of Rites, Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press
- Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Nine Enclosures,
- Meena Alexander, The Bird's Bright Ring, Calcutta: Writers Workshop, India.
- Arundhathi Subramaniam, Nine Enclosures, Mumbai: Clearing House
- Gauri Deshpande, An Anthology of Indo English Poetry, Delhi: Hind Pocket Books
- Nolini Kanta Gupta, Collected Works, five vols, published from 1971 to this year; Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Book Distribution Agency
- Rohini K. Gupta, Karna and Other Poems, Calcutta: Writers Workshop
- Om Prakash Bhatnagar, Thought Poems, Aligarh: Skylark Pub.
- Deb Kumar Das, Winterbird Walks, Calcutta: Writers Workshop
- Jagannath Prasad Das, First Person, Delhi: Arnold Heinemann
- Mukand R. Dave, Some Sheets of Paper, Aligarh: Skylark Pub.
- R. Parthasarathy, Ten Twentieth Century Indian Poets, Delhi: Oxford University Press
Ireland">Irish poetry">Ireland
- Ciarán Carson: The New Estate, Blackstaff Press, Wake Forest University Press
- John Ennis, Night on Hibernia Oldcastle: The New Gallery Press,
- Michael Longley, Man Lying on a Wall - Northern Ireland poet published in the United Kingdom
- George McWhirter, Queen of the Sea, Northern Ireland poet published in Canada
New Zealand">New Zealand literature">New Zealand
- James K. Baxter, posthumous
- * The Bone Chanter: Unpublished Poems 1945–72, edited by J. E. Weir
- * The Holy Life and Death of Concrete Grady: Various Uncollected and Unpublished Poems, edited by J. E. Weir
- Alan Brunton, Black & White Anthology, a 33-part sequence with an Asian setting, Hawk Press
- Vincent O'Sullivan, James K. Baxter, biography, New Zealand
United Kingdom">English poetry">United Kingdom
- Kenneth Allott, Collected Poems
- W. H. Auden, Collected Poems of W. H. Auden, edited by Edward Mendelson
- Pam Ayres, Some of Me Poetry and Some More of Me Poetry
- Frances Bellerby, The First Known
- Zoë Brooks, Owl Shadows and Whispering Stone "parallel booklets"
- George Mackay Brown, Winterfold
- Ciarán Carson: The New Estate, Blackstaff Press, Wake Forest University Press
- Elizabeth Daryush, Collected Poems
- David Day, Brass Rubbings
- Patric Dickinson, The Bearing Beast
- Gavin Ewart, No Fool Like an Old Fool
- Ruth Fainlight, Another Full Moon
- Tony Flynn, Separations
- Alistair Fowler, Catagomb Suburb
- Thom Gunn, Jack Straw's Castle, and Other Poems
- Adrian Henri, One Year, Todmorden, Lancashire: Arc Publications,
- Ted Hughes, Season Songs
- Clive James, Peregrine Prykke's Pilgrimage Through the London Literary World and Britannia Bright's Bewilderment in the Wilderness of Westminster, Australian poet resident in the United Kingdom
- Glyn Jones, Selected Poems
- Peter Levi, Collected Poems
- Michael Longley, Man Lying on a Wall Northern Ireland poet published in the United Kingdom
- Hugh MacDairmid, Collected Poems
- Hugh Maxton, The Noise of the Fields
- Humphrey John Moore, Collected Poems
- Eleanor Murray, Black and Sepia
- Luke Parsons, Last Poems
- Brian Patten, Vanishing Trick
- Rodney Pybus, Bridging Loans
- Peter Reading, The Prison Cell and Barrel Mystery
- Jon Silkin, The Little Time-Keeper
- Derek Walcott, Sea Grapes
- David Wright, A View of the North
- Edmund Leo Wright, The Horwich Hennets
- Paul Yates, Sky Made of Stone
Anthologies in the United Kingdom
- Elaine Feinstein, editor and translator, Three Russian Poets: Margarite Aliger, Yunna Morits, Bella Akhmadulina, Manchester, Carcanet Press
- F. E. S. Finn, Here and Human
- Antonia Fraser, Scottish Love Poems
- Dannie Abse, Poetry Dimension Annual 4
- Howard Sergeant, New Poems 1976/1977, P.E.N. anthology
United States">American poetry">United States
- Diane Ackerman, The Planets
- Paul Auster, translator, The Uninhabited, poetry translated from the original French of André du Bouchet
- Ted Berrigan, Red Wagon
- Elizabeth Bishop, One Act
- Peter Blue Cloud, Turtle, Bear, and Wolf
- Raymond Carver, At Night The Salmon Move
- Maxine Chernoff, Vegetable Emergency, prose poems
- Robert Creeley, Selected Poems
- James Dickey, The Zodiac
- Ed Dorn, translator, Selected Poems of Cesar Vallejo, Penguin
- Charles Doyle, James K. Baxter, Boston: Twayne ; study of the New Zealand poet
- Irving Feldman, Leaping Clear
- Marya Fiamengo, In Praise of Older Women
- Stratis Haviaras, Crossing the River Twice
- John Hollander, Reflections on Espionage
- Robert Lowell, Selected Poems
- James Merrill: Divine Comedies, including "Lost in Translation" and "The Book of Ephraim", a long narrative poem
- N. Scott Momaday, The Gourd Dancer
- Lorine Niedecker, Blue Chicory
- Simon Ortiz, Going for the Rain
- Kenneth Rexroth, 100 More Poems from the Japanese
- Charles Reznikoff, Poems 1918-1936
- Muriel Rukeyser, The Gates
- Anne Sexton, 45 Mercy Street
- James Tate, Viper Jazz''
Criticism, scholarship and biography in the United States
- Harold Bloom, Poetry and Repression, the final volume of a tetralogy that began with The Anxiety of Influence in 1973
- Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren, Understanding Poetry'', originally published in 1938, goes into its fourth edition ; this would be the final edition before the deaths of the authors.
Works published in other languages
Denmark">Danish literature">Denmark
- Jørgen Gustava Brandt:
- * Jothárram
- * Mit hjerte i København
- * Regnansigt
- Klaus Høeck, Pentagram, publisher: Gyldendal
- Jørgen Nash, Her er jeg
- Henrik Nordbrandt, Glas Copenhagen: Gylendal, 53 pp.
- Klaus Rifbjerg, Stranden
- Jørgen Sonne, Huset''
Finland">Finnish literature">Finland
- Paavo Haavikko, Viiniä, kirjoitusta
- Hannu Mäkelä, Synkkyys pohjaton, ninn myös iloni, onneni
- Jarkko Laine, Viidenpennin Hamlet
- Matti Rossi, Laulu tummana tulevi
- Matti Kuusi, Kansanruno Kalevala, a reconstruction of the folk poems that formed the basis of the Finnish national epic, Kaalevala, compiled in 1849 by Elias Lönnrot.
French language
France">French poetry">France
- Anne-Marie Albiach, Objet
- Roland Bacri, Roland Bacri
- Hervé Bazin, Traits
- Jean Berthet, L'éternel instant
- Philippe Chabaneix, Dix nouvelles romances
- René Char, Aromates chasseurs
- Jean Daive, Le jeu des séries scéniques
- Christian Dedeyan, Chant du Houlme
- Roger Giroux, Théatre, published posthumously
- Robert Houdelot, Les Treize
- Edmond Jabès, Le Livre des Ressemblances
- Jacques Marlet, Toi qui pâlis au nom de Vancouver
- Robert Marteau, Atlante
- Jacques Prévert, Grand Bal du printemps
- Raymond Queneau, Morale élémentaire
- J. P. Seguin, LAnnée poétique 1975''
Criticism, scholarship and biography
- John Edwin Jackson, a study of Yves Bonnefoy
Canada">Canadian poetry">Canada
- Georges Cartier, Chanteaux
- Paul Chanel Malenfant, Poèmes de la mères pays
- Marie Uguay, Signe et rumeur
- A Quebec collective of women, La Nef des sorcières
German language
West Germany">German literature">West Germany
- Horst Bienek, Gleiwitzer Kindheit
- H. M. Enzensberger, Mausoleum: 37 Ballads From the History of Progress
- Michael Kruger, Reginapoly
- Ernst Meister, Im Zeitspalt
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Prussian Nights, translated into German from the original Russian by Nikolaus Ehlert; first written in 1951; first published in 1974
- Jurgen Theobaldy and Gustav Zürcher, Veränderung der Lyrik: Über westdeutsche Gedichte seit 1965
East Germany">German literature">East Germany
- Erich Arendt, Memento und Bild
India">Indian poetry">India
- Amritdhari Singha, Avatar rahasya, India, Maithili-language
- Heeraben Pathak, Paraloke Patra, a poem addressing her deceased husband, poet Ramnarayan Pathak; Indian poet writing in Gujarati-language
- Joy Goswami Christmas o Sheeter Sonnetguchcho, the author's first book of poetry; Bangladeshi-language
- K. Siva Reddy, Aasupatrigeetam, Hyderabad: Jhari Poetry Circle, Telugu-language
- Namdeo Dhasal, Priyadarshini; Marathi-language
- Nirendranath Chakravarti, Kobitar Bodoley Kobita, Kolkata: Bishhobani Prokashoni; Bengali-language
- Rajendra Kishore Panda, Anavatar O Anya Anya, Cuttack: Grantha Mandir, Oraya-language
Italy">Italian poetry">Italy
- Dario Bellezza, Morta segreta
- Alberto Bevilacqua, La crudeltà
- Amelia Rosselli, Documento 1966-73
- Angelo M. Ripellino, La splendido violino verde
- Maria Luisa Spaziani, Ultrasuoni''
Norway">Norwegian literature">Norway
- Göran Sonnevi, Det omöjliga
- Sten Hagliden, Kvällsordat
- Barbro Lindgren, Rapporter från marken
Poland">Polish poetry">Poland
- M. Jastrum, Poezja Mtodej Polski, anthology
- A. Lam, Kolumbowie i wspótcześni, second edition, anthology
- Z. Liberia, Poezja polska XVIII wieku, second edition, anthology
- Wisława Szymborska: Wielka liczba
Portuguese language
Portugal">Portuguese literature">Portugal
- Ruy de Moura Belo, Toda a terra
- Carlos de Oliveira, Trabalho Poético
- Egito Gonçalves, Luz Vegital
- Eugénio de Andrade, Limar dos Pássaros
- António Ramos Rosa, Ciclo do Cavalo
- Pedro Tamen, Agora, Estar
Brazil">Brazilian literature">Brazil
- Marcus Accioly, Sisifo, a long poem containing multiple forms of poetry, including the classical sonnet, concrete and popular Brazilian forms
- Yolanda Jordão, Biografia do Edificio e Anexos
- Adélia Prado, Bagagem
Spanish language
Spain">Spanish poetry">Spain
- Matilde Camus, Siempre amor
- Antonio Colinas, Sepulcro en Taruinia
- Justo Jorge Padrón, Los círculos del infierno
- Claudio Rodriguez, El vuelo de la celebración
American poetry|Latin America]]
- Guadalupe Amor, El zoológico de Pita Amor
- Jomi García Ascot, Un modo de decir
- Arturo Corcuera, Las sirenas y las estaciones
- José Emilio Pacheco, Islas à la deriva
- A workshop in "synthetic poetry" came out with Doce modos
Other languages
- Gerrit Kouwenaar, Verzamelde Gedichten
- Alexander Mezhirov, Под старым небом, Russia, Soviet Union
Awards and honors
Canada">Canadian poetry">Canada
- See 1976 Governor General's Awards for a complete list of winners and finalists for those awards.
United Kingdom">English poetry">United Kingdom
- Cholmondeley Award: Peter Porter, Fleur Adcock
- Eric Gregory Award: Stewart Brown, Valerie Gillies, Paul Groves, Paul Hyland, Nigel Jenkins, Andrew Motion, Tom Paulin, William Peskett
United States">American poetry">United States
- Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress : Robert Hayden appointed this year.
- Frost Medal: A.M. Sullivan
- National Book Award for Poetry: John Ashbery, Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror
- Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: John Ashbery: Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror
- Walt Whitman Award: Laura Gilpin, The Hocus-Pocus of the Universe
- Fellowship of the Academy of American Poets: J. V. Cunningham
- Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize: Denise Levertov, The Freeing of the Dust
Births
- September 2 – Tim Key, English comic performer and performance poet
- Jen Hadfield, British poet and visual artist
- Meghan O'Rourke, American writer, editor and poet; writer for Slate; a poetry editor for The Paris Review
- Yolanda Wisher, African American poet and spoken word artist
Deaths
- January 22 – Charles Reznikoff, 81, American Objectivist poet
- March 7 – Tove Ditlevsen, 58, Danish poet and fiction writer, suicide by overdose
- March 10 – L. E. Sissman, 48, American poet, advertising executive and Quiz Kid, of Hodgkin's disease
- March 12 – Lloyd Frankenberg, 67, American poet, anthologist and critic, husband of painter Loren Maclver
- April 9 – Saneatsu Mushanokōji 武者小路 実篤 實篤, sometimes known as "Mushakōji Saneatsu"; other pen-names included "Musha" and "Futo-o", 90, Japanese, late Taishō period and Shōwa period novelist, playwright, poet, artist and philosopher
- April 28 – Richard Hughes, 76, English poet, fiction writer and screenwriter
- May 11 – Ogiwara Seisensui 荻原井泉水, pen name of Ogiwara Tōkichi, 91, Japanese haiku poet in the Taishō and Shōwa periods
- July 11 – León de Greiff, 88, Colombian poet
- August 19 – Jan Nisar Akhtar, 62, Indian poet of Urdu ghazals and nazms, a lyricist for Bollywood and father of psychiatrist and poet Salman Akhtar
- August 29 – Kazi Nazrul Islam, 77, Bengali poet, musician, revolutionary and philosopher best known as the Bidrohi Kobi, popular among Bengalis and considered the national poet of Bangladesh
- October 15 – James McAuley, 59, Australian poet, academic, journalist and literary critic
- October 18 – Viswanatha Satyanarayana, 81, Indian poet writing in Telugu; popularly known as the Kavi Samraat
- October 23 – Anne Elder, 58, Australian ballet dancer and poet, of cardiopulmonary disease
- December 8 – Henryk Jasiczek, 57, Polish journalist, poet, writer and dissident