The 1968 National Book Award for poetry was granted to Robert Bly for his volume The Light Around the Body, an occasion he utilized to donate the prize money to organizations resisting the military draft. This event encapsulated a lifelong commitment to activism that paralleled his development as a prominent American poet, translator, and leader of the mythopoetic men's movement.
Formative Years and Education
Born in 1926 in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, Robert Elwood Bly entered the United States Navy in 1944 following his high school graduation. His academic path included time at St. Olaf College before transferring to Harvard University, where he joined a cohort of future writers including Adrienne Rich, John Ashbery, and Frank O'Hara. He completed his education with a master of fine arts degree from the University of Iowa Writers Workshop in 1956. A subsequent Fulbright Scholarship facilitated travel to Norway, where he engaged with international poetry traditions and his own ancestral roots.
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Bly’s 1962 collection, Silence in the Snowy Fields, introduced an imagistic style that challenged the dominant intellectual focus of post-World War II American poetry. He argued against the impersonality favored by Modernists and advocated for a return to inwardness, drawing inspiration from European and South American poets such as Pablo Neruda, César Vallejo, and Rainer Maria Rilke. Over his career, he translated works from Spanish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Persian, and Urdu, and published more than 40 poetry collections.
Activism and Cultural Influence
During the Vietnam War, Bly emerged as a leading voice of dissent among the literary community. He co-founded American Writers Against the Vietnam War in 1966 and authored pieces such as the 1970 poem The Teeth Mother Naked at Last. His cultural reach widened significantly with the 1990 publication of Iron John: A Book About Men. The text spent 62 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list and became a defining document of the mythopoetic men's movement, which focused on mythological archetypes and traditional storytelling.
The Great Mother Conference
In 1975, Bly established the Great Mother Conference, a recurring event focused on human consciousness, mythology, and fairy tale traditions. Originally exploring the concept of the divine feminine in response to the climate of the Vietnam War, the conference later incorporated themes regarding the evolving role of contemporary fathers. Bly participated in these annual gatherings until 2010, contributing to the dialogue alongside collaborators including James Hillman, Michael J. Meade, and Marion Woodman.
Fast facts
- Born: 1926, Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota
- Died: 2021, Minneapolis
- Education: Harvard University; St. Olaf College
- National Book Award: 1968
- Poet Laureate of Minnesota: 2008–2011
- Notable Work: Iron John: A Book About Men
- Languages: English, Norwegian, German
- Membership: American Academy of Arts and Letters
Questions readers ask
What was the mythopoetic men's movement?
It was a movement popularized by Bly's book Iron John that utilized mythology, storytelling, and workshops to explore masculinity and men's emotional lives.
What awards did Robert Bly receive?
His honors included the National Book Award in 1968, the Tomas Tranströmer prize in 2008, the Anvil Award in 2008, and the Robert Frost Medal in 2013.
Achievements
- National Book Award — 1968
- Tomas Tranströmer prize — 2008
- Robert Frost Medal — 2013
- Notable work: Iron John: A Book About Men
