Robert Penn Warren, as a child, grew up on a tobacco farm. His grandfathers, who worked on the farm regularly, told him many stories of the Civil War. These stories, as he remarked, provided a rich resource of memories and images that “nurture” his art. Robert began to write while in college. He intended on being an engineer, although he eventually pursued writing. Warren’s central theme in many poems is the south. Many of his poems depict the south and others draw inspiration from southern events. His novel, “All the King’s Men,” portrays events regarding politician Huey Long, the governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932. Warren faced little ramifications regarding his work, although his poems sometimes focused on issues of race at the time.
