Kenneth Charles Marion Rexroth (December 22, 1905 – June 6, 1982) was an American poet, translator and critical essayist. He is regarded as a central figure in the
San Francisco Renaissance, and paved the groundwork for the movement. Although he did not consider himself to be a
Beat poet, and disliked the association, he was dubbed the "Father of the Beats" by
Time Magazine. He was among the first poets in the
United States to explore traditional Japanese poetic forms such as
haiku. He was also a prolific reader of
Chinese literature.