Background Knowledge for Dove

      Born in Akron, Ohio on August 28, 1952, Rita Dove developed a love for learning and literature at an early age in a household that encouraged reading. She was honored as a Presidential Scholar, being ranked as one of the top 100 high school students in the nation, and as a National Merit Scholar attended Ohio’s Miami University, graduating in 1973 summa cum laude. She subsequently studied abroad in Germany before returning to the states and earning her M.F.A. from the University of Iowa. Dove established a fine career in academia, eventually teaching at the University of Virginia and becoming an esteemed, award-winning poet. In May of 1993, Dove was named the poet laureate of the United States. She was the first African American appointed to the position as well as the first woman and the youngest, at 41 years old. Dove has served as an editor as well, helming The Best American Poetry 2000and 2011’s Penguin Anthology of 20th Century American Poetry. Dove still works as a professor at the University of Virginia.

 Work Cited:
Biography.com Editors. “Rita Dove.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 16 Oct. 2014, www.biography.com/people/rita-dove-9278390.

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