Richard Wilbur published 1 short story collection, 2 children's books, 8 poetry collections, 1 play and 2 other books, beginning with Things of This World (1956). The best-known is New and Collected Poems (1988).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Richard Wilbur
Start here
New and Collected Poems
Richard Wilbur's most-read book.
Short story collections in order
Responses (1999)
Children's books in order
A Game of Catch (1990)
The Pig in the Spigot (2000)
Poetry in order
Things of This World (1956)
Walking to Sleep (1969)
The Mind-reader (1976)
New and Collected Poems (1988)
Opposites (1991)
The Disappearing Alphabet (1998)
Opposites, More Opposites, and a Few Differences (2000)
Poems and Poetics (2003)
Plays in order
Phaedra, by Racine (1987)
Other books in order
The Misanthrope; and Tartuffe (1965)
The School for Wives and The Learned Ladies, by Moliere (1991)
About Richard Wilbur
Richard Purdy Wilbur was an American poet and literary translator, and one of the foremost poets of the World War II generation. Wilbur's work, often employing rhyme, and composed primarily in traditional forms, was marked by its wit, charm, and gentlemanly elegance. He was acclaimed in his youth as the heir to Robert Frost, translated the verse dramas of Moliere, Corneille, and Racine into rhymed English, collaborated with Leonard Bernstein as the lyricist for the opera Candide, and in his old age acted, particularly through his role in the annual West Chester University Poetry Conference, as a mentor to the younger poets of the New Formalist movement. He was appointed the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1987 and received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice, in 1957 and 1989.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Richard Wilbur FAQ
- How many books has Richard Wilbur written?
- Richard Wilbur published 1 short story collection, 2 children's books, 8 poetry collections, 1 play and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Richard Wilbur's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with New and Collected Poems.
- What is Richard Wilbur's last book?
- Responses (1999).
- What is Richard Wilbur's most famous book?
- New and Collected Poems (1988) is Richard Wilbur's most widely read book.
Authors like Richard Wilbur
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.