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✨ Sagittarius Lagna

Duncan Robert

• Remembering (Feb 3, 1988)

★ January 7, 1919 · Oakland, California
2views
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Moon Sign
Aquarius
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Sun Sign
Sagittarius
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Ascendant
Sagittarius
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Nakshatra
Purva Bhadrapada
Birth Star
WritersPoetHumanities+Social SciencesTeacherOccult FieldsCareer - software engineerKabbalah Number 3Destiny Number 2
Biography

Who is Duncan Robert?

American major contemporary poet, considered a presiding voice of the San Francisco Bay area specifically, which he helped establish as a major center of poetry in the United States. Duncan became the leading spokesperson for open poetry in America, and his full powers are considered best displayed in "The Venice Poem," 1948, patterned after Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements. Duncan’s mother died shortly after giving birth to him and his father, a day laborer, put him up for adoption when he was six months old. Adopted by a couple who chose him on the basis of his astrology chart, he grew up as Robert Edward Symmes, reverting to his original surname in 1942. Raised mainly in Bakersfield, California, his adopted father was an architect and both of his parents were theosophists. He was deeply affected by metaphysical influences throughout the family; his grandmother had been an elder in a Hermetic order similar to William Butler Yeats’s Order of the Golden Dawn. He attended the University of California at Berkeley from 1936-1938, and published his first poems in school magazines. He then moved to New York, where he befriended Anais Nin and others. Early influences included Edith Sitwell, Jean Cocteau and the French Surrealists. He returned to San Francisco in 1945 after publishing "The Homosexual in Society" and in "Politics," 1944. He moved to Berkeley in 1946 and joined a small group of poets there, studied medieval and Renaissance civilization and in 1951, began a long-standing relationship with painter Jess Collins. In 1952, he joined a group of poets publishing in "Origen" magazine, followed by an association with "Black Mountain Review." He taught briefly at the experimental Black Mountain College in Western North Carolina before it closed in 1956. Duncan became the leading spokesman for the poetry of open form in America. In 1972, he courageously announced he would not publish again until 1983 when a volume to be called "Ground Work" would lay the foundation for the work of his final years. His poems have been collected in two volumes, "The First Decade: Selected Poems 1940-1950," and "Derivations Selected Poems 1950-1956," 1968. Died 2/03/1988, San Francisco, CA. Link to Wikipedia biography
Latest Info

Latest Updates

Update at: May 31, 2026

Robert Duncan (1919–1988) Public Profile

Basic profile

  • Born: January 7, 1919, Oakland, California, United States
  • Died: 1988
  • Occupation: American poet, essayist, translator
  • Movement: San Francisco Renaissance, postwar American poetry

Biography highlights

Robert Duncan was a central figure in the San Francisco Renaissance and a major voice in late-20th-century poetry. His work is known for mythic imagery, visionary language, and its blending of modernist and surrealist influences. He published several poetry collections, engaged with editors and peers in the San Francisco Bay Area, and contributed prose and translations that shaped American avant-garde poetry.

Publications and projects

Duncan produced poetry that helped define postwar American experimental writing and engaged in long-form, myth-informed pieces. He undertook scholarly projects, including The H.D. Book, and contributed to literary journals and anthologies that shaped the canon of American poetry. Much of his work remains studied in academic settings and is preserved in archival collections.

Legacy and influence

Duncan influenced a generation of poets who pursued formal experimentation and visionary writing. His essays and poems continue to be discussed in university courses and modern poetry curricula. Posthumous editions, scholarly articles, and archival releases continue to make his work available to new readers.

News and events

As a late-20th-century figure, contemporary news about Robert Duncan appears mainly in scholarly articles, retrospective volumes, and anniversary commemorations within poetry circles. There are no official contemporary social-media profiles for him, but academic and literary organizations occasionally publish material about his work.

Social media and online presence

There are no official Robert Duncan social-media accounts. Public information about him is found on author pages and encyclopedia entries. For reliable information, consult:

  • Poetry Foundation: author page for Robert Duncan
  • Britannica or other reputable reference sources
  • Wikipedia and university library catalogs

Where to find more

Libraries and archives hold Duncan materials in major research institutions. Online resources and scholarly journals offer critical studies and selections of his poetry. To explore further, search library catalogs (e.g., Library of Congress, UC Berkeley, Stanford) for collections of his work and related critical essays.

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Which dasha periods did Duncan Robert live through?

VIMSHOTTARI

Vimshottari dasha periods recorded for Duncan Robert, in order.

PREVIOUSJun 22, 2026 - Jul 23, 2026
Rahu / Moon / Ketu
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What do Duncan Robert's numerology numbers say?

Duncan Robert's core numbers are Kabbalah Number 3, Destiny 2, Soul Urge 2, Personality 2.

∞Kabbalah Number
3

Kabbalah Number 3 reflects an inner spiritual code of expression and creativity. It supports communication, inspiration, and joyful manifestation.

◎Destiny
2

Chaldean Destiny 2 indicates success through cooperation and harmony. It supports mediation, supportive leadership, and partnership-based growth.

❖Soul Urge
2

Chaldean Soul 2 desires emotional safety, love, and peace. It seeks supportive bonds, trust, and harmony in relationships.

◇Personality
2

Chaldean Personality 2 appears gentle, diplomatic, and cooperative. Others often see empathy, tact, and calm support.

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Life Events & Planetary Transits

Key events mapped against the active Dasha and planetary transits at the time.

1988
Death
Death, Cause unspecified 3 February 1988 (Age 69)
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