Randall Jarrell is a poet and critic born in Nashville, Tennessee. His collections include Blood for a Stranger and Little Friend, Little Friend. Jarrell’s best-known poem is ‘The Lost World.’ He also won the National Book Award for The Woman at the Washington Zoo. Read more of Randall Jarrell’s Biography.
‘Next Day’ by Randall Jarrell is a confessional poem with a conversational tone that articulates the complex emotions of aging and change.
Moving from Cheer to Joy, from Joy to All,
I take a box
And add it to my wild rice, my Cornish game hens.
’90 North’ by Randall Jarrell is concerned with dreams, aging, and the truth of success. The poet’s speaker realizes that success means nothing and that after achieving everything he wanted, his life is worthless.
‘A Country Life’ by Randall Jarrell gives a deeply felt depiction of the impacts of life, death and loneliness on one’s life before death finally comes.
‘The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner’ is Randall Jarrell’s best-loved poem. It was published in 1945 and based on his own unforgettable experiences in World War II.
‘The Woman at the Washington Zoo’ by Randall Jarrell is a moving and disturbing poem. In it, the speaker explores her self worth and identity while comparing herself to zoo animals.