Charles Simic is a Serbian-American poet and former United States Poet Laureate. Born in 1938 in what was then Yugoslavia, Simic immigrated to the United States with his family in 1954. He is known for his concise and evocative poetry that often explores themes of war, exile, and the human experience. Throughout his career, Simic has received numerous prestigious awards for his work and is considered one of the most important contemporary American poets.