“Jacobsen, born on the shore of Lake Ontario, Canada, while her American parents were on vacation, was educated at Roland Park Country School in Baltimore. Her poetry, published in nine volumes, is known for its spare, elegant language on a broad range of topics. She also wrote short stories and literary criticism. Jacobsen generously advised struggling writers. She received the Shelley Memorial Award in 1994 and the Robert Frost Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Poetry in 1997.”

–Library of Congress Poets Laureate page