Frost Medal

Frost Medal, annual poetry award presented by the Poetry Society of America in recognition of the lifetime achievements of an American poet. The medal was first awarded in 1930.

The award was originally called the Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement, but the name was later changed to honour American poet Robert Frost. It was initially discretionary and could be awarded to poets living or dead, or not awarded at all. In 1984 it became an annual award bestowed upon a living poet. It was occasionally given to two poets in a single year.

The medal became the focus of controversy in 2007 when novelist Walter Mosley, a member of the board of the Poetry Society of America, resigned in protest after poet and critic John Hollander—who had been dogged by accusations of racism after expressing scorn for affirmative action—was selected as that year’s honoree. It was speculated that Hollander’s comments were also the motivation for the resignation of several other board members, though they maintained that they were leaving because of conflicts with the board president.

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Notable recipients of the award have included Frost himself, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Allen Ginsberg, Gwendolyn Brooks, Adrienne Rich, and Maxine Kumin.

Winners of the Frost Medal are listed in the table.