# John Berryman

> American poet and scholar (1914–1972)

**Wikidata**: [Q522192](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q522192)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Berryman)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/john-berryman

# John Berryman

## Summary

John Berryman (born John Allyn McAlpin Berryman) was an American poet and scholar who lived from 1914 to 1972. He is recognized as a major figure in 20th-century American poetry, distinguished by receiving the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, the National Book Award, and the Bollingen Prize, among other honors. Berryman also had a significant career as a university teacher, holding positions at several prominent American institutions.

## Biography

- **Born:** 1914 (specific date and place not specified in source material)
- **Died:** 1972
- **Nationality:** United States
- **Also known as:** John Allyn Berryman, John Allyn McAlpin Berryman
- **Occupations:** Poet, writer, university teacher, scholar
- **Known for:** American poetry and literary scholarship
- **Field(s):** Poetry, Literature, Academia
- **Affiliated institutions:** Columbia University, Clare College (University of Cambridge), Harvard University, University of Minnesota, University of California Berkeley, University of Washington, University of Iowa, University of Cincinnati

## Contributions

John Berryman's primary contributions lie in the field of American poetry and literary scholarship. Over his career, he produced a substantial body of poetic work that earned him the highest recognitions in American letters. His literary achievements were honored with the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, one of the most distinguished awards for poetic achievement in the United States. He also received the National Book Award, a major United States literary award, and the Bollingen Prize, another esteemed American literary award. Beyond these, Berryman was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, a prestigious grant in the arts awarded annually since 1925. His scholarly contributions were further recognized with the Julian Corbett Prize in Naval History, a British history award established in 1926, indicating an unexpected breadth of intellectual engagement beyond poetry. He was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an honorary society and policy research center founded in 1780, and was associated with the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an honor society founded in 1899.

## FAQs

**What awards did John Berryman receive?**
John Berryman received numerous major literary and academic honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, the National Book Award, the Bollingen Prize, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He was also named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and received the Julian Corbett Prize in Naval History.

**Where did John Berryman teach or study?**
Berryman was affiliated with a wide range of institutions across the United States and United Kingdom, including Columbia University, Harvard University, the University of Minnesota, the University of California Berkeley, the University of Washington, the University of Iowa, the University of Cincinnati, and Clare College at the University of Cambridge.

**Was John Berryman connected to other notable poets?**
Yes, Philip Levine, a Jewish-American poet who lived from 1928 to 2015, is identified as a key person associated with Berryman. Levine himself held multiple occupations related to writing and poetry.

**What was John Berryman's given name?**
John Berryman was born John Allyn McAlpin Berryman, also known by the name John Allyn Berryman.

## Why They Matter

John Berryman occupies a significant place in 20th-century American literature. His recognition with the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, the National Book Award, and the Bollingen Prize places him in an elite group of American poets whose work has been acknowledged at the very highest level. These three awards, taken together, represent a near-complete sweep of the most important recognitions available to an American poet. The Guggenheim Fellowship further underscores the scholarly and artistic value of his contributions. His election as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and his association with the American Academy of Arts and Letters indicate that his peers regarded him as a significant literary figure deserving of the highest institutional honors in the United States. The Julian Corbett Prize in Naval History suggests an intellectual versatility that extended beyond his primary reputation as a poet. His long career as a university teacher, spanning institutions from Harvard to the University of Minnesota, meant that he influenced generations of students and contributed to the academic study of literature. His connection to figures like Philip Levine points to a wider network of poetic influence and mentorship.

## Notable For

- Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, the premier American award for distinguished poetry
- Recipient of the National Book Award, a major United States literary award established in 1936
- Recipient of the Bollingen Prize, a prestigious American literary award
- Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, a competitive grant in the arts
- Named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an honorary society established in 1780
- Associated with the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an honor society founded in 1899
- Received the Julian Corbett Prize in Naval History, a British history award
- Affiliated with eight universities across the United States and England, including Columbia, Harvard, and Cambridge
- Career spanning from 1914 to 1972 as a poet, writer, scholar, and university teacher

## Body

### Identity and Overview

John Berryman, born John Allyn McAlpin Berryman (also known as John Allyn Berryman), was an American poet and scholar who lived from 1914 to 1972. He was a human, a citizen of the United States, and worked as a poet, writer, and university teacher throughout his professional life. He is identified in knowledge bases with 32 site links and a dedicated Wikipedia article.

### Academic and Institutional Affiliations

Berryman's career connected him to a remarkable number of distinguished academic institutions on both sides of the Atlantic:

- **Columbia University** — A private university in New York City, founded in 1754, with approximately 20,861 employees
- **Clare College, University of Cambridge** — A college of the University of Cambridge, founded in 1326, based in the United Kingdom
- **Harvard University** — A private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, founded in 1636, with approximately 19,178 employees
- **University of Minnesota** — A public research university in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, founded in 1851, with approximately 18,624 employees
- **University of California, Berkeley** — A public university in Berkeley, California, founded in 1868, with approximately 12,122 employees
- **University of Washington** — A public research university in Seattle, Washington, founded in 1861, with approximately 16,174 employees
- **University of Iowa** — A public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, founded in 1847, with approximately 10,955 employees as of 2020
- **University of Cincinnati** — A public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1819, with approximately 5,928 employees

These affiliations span the categories of education, teaching, and scholarly engagement across both American and British academic traditions.

### Honors and Recognition

Berryman's work earned him a rare constellation of the most significant awards available in American letters:

- **Pulitzer Prize for Poetry** — One of the most recognized American awards for distinguished poetry
- **National Book Award** — A major United States literary award established in 1936, awarded across five categories
- **Bollingen Prize** — A distinguished American literary award
- **Guggenheim Fellowship** — A grant in the arts, awarded annually since 1925, representing significant competitive recognition
- **Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences** — An honorary fellowship from the United States honorary society and policy research center founded in 1780
- **Julian Corbett Prize in Naval History** — A British history award established in 1926, indicating scholarly contributions beyond the field of poetry
- **Association with the American Academy of Arts and Letters** — An honor society founded in 1899, headquartered in the United States

### Key Relationships

Philip Levine (1928–2015), a Jewish-American poet and citizen of the United States, is identified as a key person associated with Berryman. Levine held multiple occupational roles related to writing and poetry.

### Legacy

John Berryman's legacy endures through his poetry, his influence as a university teacher at some of the most prominent institutions in the United States and England, and the extraordinary recognition his work received from the highest levels of American literary and academic institutions. His collected honors — spanning poetry prizes, national book awards, academic fellowships, and even a naval history prize — attest to a career of remarkable breadth and sustained excellence.

## References

1. [Source](http://bollingen.yale.edu/poet/john-berryman)
2. Integrated Authority File
3. BnF authorities
4. The Fine Art Archive
5. Find a Grave
6. Guggenheim Fellows database
7. [Source](https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/john-berryman)
8. [Source](https://www.clarealumni.com/pages/notable-alumni/john-berryman)
9. [Source](https://psa.fcny.org/psa/awards/frost_and_shelley/shelley_winners/)
10. [Source](https://www.nationalbook.org/books/his-toy-his-dream-his-rest/)
11. International Standard Name Identifier
12. Virtual International Authority File
13. MusicBrainz
14. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
15. SNAC
16. Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana
17. Proleksis Encyclopedia
18. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
19. [Source](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL1747083W/The_dream_songs)
20. CONOR.SI
21. Quora
22. LIBRIS. 2002
23. Catalogo of the National Library of India