Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize

A $100 000 prize awarded annually by the Poetry Foundation, giving special recognition to a living US poet for lifetime achievement. Established in 1986 by Ruth Lilly, the great-great-granddaughter of Eli Lilly, the prestigious award is one of the largest literary honours for work in the English language. The Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships are also awarded annually, through a national competition, to two promising students of creative writing or English. The students must be under 30 years of age, be enrolled at a university or college at the time of application, and must not have previously published a collection of poetry or had one accepted for future publication.

The Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize is awarded annually by The Poetry Foundation; Williams
2004: Kay Ryan
2003: Linda Pastan
2002: Lisel Mueller
2001: Yusef Komunyakaa
2000: Carl Dennis
1999: Maxine Kumin
1998: W.S. Ammons
1994: Donald Hall
1993: Charles Wright
1992: John Ashbery
1991: David Wagoner
1990: Hayden Carruth
1989: Mona Van Duyn
1988: Anthony Hecht
1987: Philip Levine
1986: Adrienne Rich