Millay was the first woman to win which poetry prize?

• A. Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
• B. Nobel Prize in Literature
• C. National Book Award
• D. Booker Prize

Answer: (A)

This question tests knowledge of a historic milestone in American poetry and the major prizes that recognize poets. Edna St. Vincent Millay became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, in 1923, for The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver. The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry is a prestigious American award given specifically for outstanding poetry, so her win marks a landmark moment in recognizing women poets in this field. The other prizes listed are not fitting here: the Nobel Prize in Literature is an international honor typically recognizing a author’s body of work over a lifetime, and Millay did not receive it; the National Book Award, while prestigious, did not award her as the first woman in this specific category; and the Booker Prize is a British prize for novels and began later, not poetry, so it wouldn’t apply to Millay’s achievement.