Robert Penn Warren

Robert Penn Warren was an accomplished American author who was renowned for his decades-long career in writing, poetry, and teaching. A multifaceted talent, Warren touched multiple branches of literature throughout his life. In 1947, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for his work entitled "Collected Poems, 1923-1943." This was the first time the Pulitzer Prize was awarded to a poet from the United States. The Pulitzer Prize commended Warren's ability to express the complexity of life and its moments through verse. Additionally, he earned a host of other awards for his writing talent throughout his career.

At the heart of Robert Penn Warren’s writing were themes of identity and purpose, two concepts highly researched in his day. One of the ways he dissected these topics was through his characters. In all of his works, his characters are grappling with their respective points of view and this makes them extraordinarily relatable. In his first novel’All the King’s Men’, the protagonist Brod William Stark is on a quest to understand himself and the world around him. He is constantly questioning why he and others act in a certain way, which aligns him with Warren’s fixation of true identity and purpose. Similarly, his characters are placed in difficult circumstances and have to navigate complex, moral quandaries, thus allowing the reader to consider their own influences and takeaways.

In addition to his writing, Robert Penn Warren also found success as a teacher. In 1945, he was chosen to teach at Yale University, one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. Furthermore, he lectured at other prominent schools such as the University of Minnesota and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He inspired students to think further, to ask questions and not be complacent. He once said, "The best answer I know for the big question about any of us is the heart-beat in the dark”. This centered on the idea that individuals should look beneath the surface and admit their personal and internal uncertainty.

Additionally, Robert Penn Warren was a creator of literary theories. In particular, his literary criticism of William Faulkner’s novel, As I Lay Dying, put forth his concept of the “dismembered narrative”. In it, Warren explains that Faulkner approached the story by presenting the first-person perspectives of each character, thus creating a fractured narrative. This style challenges the reader to piece together the full story and further consider the various interpretations of the events and the characters.

Overall, Robert Penn Warren was a force in the literary scene who, through his writing and teaching, elevated the industry to its current standing. He employed breathtaking poetic words in his writing that tackled identity, morality, and the human condition. His characters are timeless and he's skillfully hired rhetoric, literature, and even music to capture the moments. Moreover, his theories, such as the “dismembered narrative”, were just as pioneering as the works of authors before him and his influence can be seen today in some of the most acclaimed works of the modern world.