Born in 1905 in Guthrie, Kentucky, Robert Penn Warren was a giant of American letters through the twentieth century; he was exceptionally versatile when writing poetry, novels, and literary criticism. As a young man, Warren entered Vanderbilt University at the age of 16, where he came under the tutelage of Allen Tate, John Crowe Ransom, and Andrew Lytle. Warren spent many years as a college professor, and while at Louisiana State University he founded (along with two colleagues) The Southern Review. All told, Warren published sixteen volumes of poetry during his life (two of which were awarded the Pulitzer Prize), and numerous novels, including the Pulitzer-Prize winning morality tale, All the King's Men. Warren was also the first Poet Laureate of the United States, appointed by President Ronald Reagan. This link leads to a page about Robert Penn Warren provided by the Academy of American Poets where visitors can read some of his poems, including Evening Hawk, Mortal Limit, and Tell Me A Story.