Robert Penn Warren was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic, born on April 24, 1905, in Guthrie, Kentucky. He is best known for his novel All the King's Men, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1947. Warren was a prominent figure in American literature and was also a co-founder of the Fugitive group, which focused on Southern literature. In addition to his fiction, Warren published numerous volumes of poetry, earning him acclaim and several awards throughout his career. He served as the first Poet Laureate of the United States from 1986 to 1987. Warren's work often explored themes of morality, politics, and the complexities of human nature.