He and his second wife, the poet Alice Notley, were active in the poetry scene in Chicago for several years, then moved to New York City, where he edited various magazines[1] and books.
A prominent figure in the second generation of the New York School of Poets, Berrigan was peer to Jim Carroll, Anselm Hollo, Alice Notley, Ron Padgett, Anne Waldman, Bernadette Mayer, and Lewis Warsh.
The poet's preoccupation with style, his concern for form and his own role as the creator, as evinced by The Sonnets, pose a challenge to traditional ideas about poetry and signify a fresh and innovative artistic approach.
By imitating the forms and practices of earlier artists and recreating them to express personal ideas and experiences, Berrigan demonstrates the potential for poetry in his and subsequent generations.
Reinventing verse for its time, The Sonnets are redolent with possibilities for our own.” Berrigan died on July 4, 1983, of cirrhosis of the liver brought on by hepatitis.