Kenneth Rexroth

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American poet Kenneth Rexroth (December 22, 1905 - June 6 1982) was born in South Bend, Indiana. His mother Delia died in 1916. He spent his teenage years as an art student and soda jerk, along with other odd jobs. He later married Andree Dutcher, a commercial artist from Chicago, and they traveled up the west coast of the United States for their honeymoon. Andree died of complications from epilepsy in 1940. Rexroth had two daughters, Mary and Katherine.

Rexroth was among the first poets in the United States to explore Japanese poetry traditions such as haiku, and was influenced by jazz. He is credited with having led the poetry renaissance in San Francisco and was associated with the Beat Generation although was he later critical of the movement. Rexroth's poetry, essays and journalism reflect interests in politics, culture and ecology. Rexroth's poetic voice is similar to that of Du Fu, whom he admired, expressing indignance with the ineqities of the world from an existential perspective.

Rexroth is said to have read the entire Encyclopædia Britannica "like a novel" once a year. His books indicate familiarity with subjects ranging from political anarchism, painting, world religions, classical Chinese literature and philosophy.

After writing The Love Poems of Marichiko, Rexroth claimed to have translated the poetry of a long dead Japanese poet, but it was later disclosed he was the only author and he gained critical recognition for having conveyed the feelings of someone of another gender, culture, and time period.

Rexroth was actively involved with helping Japanese-American internees during the Second World War.