American poet Louise Gl??ck, known for her deeply personal and mythological themes that explored the natural world and religion, has passed away at the age of 80. Gl??ck, who won numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2020, died at her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her editor, Jonathan Galassi, confirmed her death, and her friend and former colleague, Richard Deming, stated that the cause was cancer.

Gl??ck's reputation as one of the greatest living poets in the United States was established long before she received the Nobel Prize. While she began publishing in the 1960s and received some recognition in the '70s, it was in the '80s and early '90s that she solidified her status with acclaimed works such as "Triumph of Achilles" (1985), which won the National Book Critics Circle Award, “Ararat” (1990), and "The Wild Iris" (1992), which earned her the Pulitzer Prize.

Her poetry was known for its accessible yet deeply personal nature, captivating both critics and the wider reading public. Gl??ck served as the United States poet laureate from 2003 to 2004. Wendy Lesser, a critic, described Gl??ck's language as "staunchly straightforward" and praised her use of rhythm and repetition, which added weight to her poems. Gl??ck's early work, particularly her debut collection “Firstborn” (1968), drew inspiration from confessional poets such as John Berryman, Robert Lowell, and Sylvia Plath. However, as she matured as a poet, her later work became less solipsistic and explored intimate themes of trauma and heartbreak.

Though her poetry often conveyed a sense of bleakness and alienation, Gl??ck seamlessly connected the personal with the social and the particular with the universal. Her work delved into themes of family, mortality, and loss. In awarding her the Nobel Prize, the committee praised her "unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal."

Gl??ck's poems were often brief and exemplified her affinity for the unsaid and suggestive, as well as deliberate silence. Influenced by Shakespeare, Greek mythology, and T.S. Eliot, among others, she questioned and sometimes dismissed the bonds of love and sex. In her renowned poem "Mock Orange," she wrote about being deceived and the lingering scent of betrayal in the world.

While her work seldom offered redemption or joy, it sought solace in accepting the world as it is. Gl??ck believed that mortality and death held the possibility of rebirth. In the title poem of "The Wild Iris," she wrote from the perspective of a flower, expressing the belief that whatever returns from oblivion finds a voice.

Louise Elizabeth Gl??ck was born on April 22, 1943, in New York City and grew up in Cedarhurst, Long Island. She came from an intellectual background and engaged in debates about poetry from a young age. Gl??ck overcame struggles with anorexia as a teenager and developed a critical mindset. She attended Sarah Lawrence and Columbia University, where she studied under poets Leonie Adams and Stanley Kunitz. By the mid-1960s, Gl??ck was working as a secretary while writing poetry in her free time. Her work began appearing in prestigious publications such as The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The Nation.

Gl??ck's first book, "Firstborn," left her drained and experiencing writer's block. Despite initially expressing a reluctance to become a teaching poet, she accepted a position at Goddard College in Vermont, where she discovered a passion for teaching and drew inspiration from it. She continued teaching for the rest of her life at institutions such as Williams College, Yale, and Stanford.

Throughout her career, Gl??ck published 14 books of poetry, including the comprehensive collection "Poems: 1962-2012" in 2012. She also wrote essays and the book "Marigold and Rose: A Fiction" in 2022, straddling the line between novel and poetry. Gl??ck's contributions to literature were widely recognized, with awards such as the National Book Award for Poetry in 2014 for "Faithful and Virtuous Night" and the Bollingen Prize from Yale in 2001. In 2016, she received the National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama.

Gl??ck was known for her introspection and preferred to avoid the spotlight. She expressed concerns about being considered a popular and accessible poet, fearing it would lead to mediocrity. Despite her reservations, she acknowledged that the recognition she received hinted at the immortality she had sought as a child.

Gl??ck's poetry resonated deeply with readers, providing solace and a path through the weight of living. Tracy K. Smith, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, stated that Gl??ck's poetry had saved her many times. Gl??ck's spare yet patient syntax created a way to navigate the complexities of existence.

Louise Gl??ck is survived by her son, Noah Dranow, and two grandchildren.