For a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author, Five thousand dollars ($5,000).
Awarded to "Black Zodiac" by Charles Wright (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).
Also nominated as finalists in this category were: "Desire" by Frank Bidart (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), and "The Vigil" by C.K. Williams (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).