Theodore Huebner Roethke was an American poet born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1908.  He grew up surrounded by the landscapes of central -Michigan as well as the beauty of his father’s Greenhouse that he owned with his brother, Theodore’s uncle.   Much of the vivid imagery that can be found in Roethke’s work is believed to be inspired by his horticultural-rich childhood.   

He spent much time observing nature and attended High-School at Arthur Hill High School but Roethke’s adolescence would be warped by two very tragic events in early 1923.  First was his father’s death to his battle with cancer, then his Uncle’s suicide.  After this, Roethke’s psyche would be forever altered and his first bout of depression and mental illness became apparent.   These two events, especially, his father’s death, are also stated as two of the driving forces behind Roethke’s creative outlook found in his poetry.

Roethke went on to attend college at the University of Michigan from 1925-1929 where he graduated magna cum laude and would continue taking graduate courses after quitting law school after one semester.  He transferred to Harvard, continuing to take graduate courses until the financial strains of the Great Depression became too much and he left to begin teaching at Lafayette College and stayed there from 1931-1935.  His leave was due to a hospitalization a bout of mental illness which would prove to be reoccurring and also serve as a useful writing tool as Roethke gave it credit for allowing him to explore a different mindset.