Prize motivation: "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal."
Prize share: 1/1
Work
Personal experiences have always been an important touchstone for Louise Glück’s poetry. Childhood, family life, relationships and death are recurring themes in her collections. Glück seeks out the universal. Myths and classical motifs are found in most of her work. In addition to classical mythology, the rich English-language poetry tradition is her primary literary source of inspiration. Glück’s language is characterised by clarity and precision and is free of poetic formalities; she often uses daily spoken language.
