Charles Olson Quotes

Charles Olson was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was an American poet. At high school he was a champion orator, winning a tour of Europe as a prize. He studied literature and American studies, gaining a B.A and M.A at Wesleyan University. For two years Olson taught English at Clark University then entered Harvard University in 1936 where he finished his coursework for a Ph.D.in American civilization but failed to complete his degree. His first poems were written in 1940. He served as a visiting professor at the University at Buffalo and at the University of Connecticut. Olson's first book, Call Me Ishmael, a study of Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick, was a continuation of his M.A. thesis from Wesleyan University. Olson's second collection, The Distances, was published in 1960.