Theodore Roethke (1908–1963) was born in Saginaw, Michigan, where his father owned a greenhouse. Growing up around greenhouses influenced Roethke's poetry—greenhouses, plants, and images of growth appear in many of his poems. Roethke attended Harvard University and the University of Michigan and later became a college professor. One of the best-known American poets, Roethke won many awards for his work, including two Guggenheim Fellowships, two National Book Awards, the Bollingen Prize, and a Pulitzer Prize.