James Merrill

James Merrill (1926–1995) was an American poet whose work is noted for formal skill, wit, and emotional range. Born in New York City, he studied at Amherst College and published his first book, *First Poems*, in 1951. Merrill wrote acclaimed collections including *Nights and Days* (1966) and *Divine Comedies* (1976), which won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. He also received the National Book Award for *Mirabell: Books of Number* (1978). His ambitious epic, *The Changing Light at Sandover* (1982), grew from decades of Ouija-board sessions and blends lyric poetry with metaphysical inquiry. Merrill lived for many years in Stonington, Connecticut.