W. S. Merwin published 1 novel, 1 novella, 1 short story collection, 3 non-fiction books, 15 poetry collections and 2 other books, beginning with A Mask for Janus (1952). The best-known is The Rain in the Trees (1987).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with W. S. Merwin
Start here
The Rain in the Trees
W. S. Merwin's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
The Miner's Pale Children (1970)
Novellas in order
The Life of Lazarillo De Tormes (New York Review Books Classics) (2001)
Short story collections in order
The Lost Upland (1992)
Non-fiction in order
The Ends of the Earth (2004)
Unframed Originals (2004)
Summer Doorways (2005)
Poetry in order
Medieval Epics (1963)
The Moving Target (1963)
The Lice (1967)
The Carrier of Ladders (1970)
Finding the Islands (1982)
Opening the Hand (1983)
The Rain in the Trees (1987)
Vixen, The (1996)
The Vixen (1997)
Migration (2005)
Present Company (2005)
The Shadow of Sirius (2009)
Collected Poems 1952-1993 (2013)
The Moon Before Morning (2014)
Garden Time (2016)
Other books in order
A Mask for Janus (1952)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (2002)
About W. S. Merwin
William Stanley Merwin was an American poet who wrote more than fifty books of poetry and prose and produced many works in translation. During the 1960s anti-war movement, Merwin's unique craft was thematically characterized by indirect, unpunctuated narration. In the 1980s and 1990s, his writing influence derived from an interest in Buddhist philosophy and deep ecology. Residing in a rural part of Maui, Hawaii, he wrote prolifically and was dedicated to the restoration of the island's rainforests.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
W. S. Merwin FAQ
- How many books has W. S. Merwin written?
- W. S. Merwin published 1 novel, 1 novella, 1 short story collection, 3 non-fiction books, 15 poetry collections and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read W. S. Merwin's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Rain in the Trees.
- What is W. S. Merwin's last book?
- Summer Doorways (2005).
- What is W. S. Merwin's most famous book?
- The Rain in the Trees (1987) is W. S. Merwin's most widely read book.
Authors like W. S. Merwin
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.