Koch, Kenneth (Jay) (1925– )

US poet. A leading figure of the New York school of poetry, he is known for his urban settings, as in Poems (1953), and for his witty metaphors, as in ‘One Train May Hide Another’ (1993). He was a lecturer and director of poetry workshops for the elderly and for children, described in Wishes, Lies, and Dreams (1970). He also wrote a novel and plays, several of which have been produced off-Broadway. Koch was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He studied at Harvard and Columbia universities, gaining his PhD in 1959, and teaching at the latter institution from the same year.