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McDonald Clarke poem

 Unprocessed Material — Folder: ViU2024-0138_001
Identifier: ViU-2024-0138

Content Description

This collection contains one autograph poem titled "Midnight" by McDonald Clarke (1798-1842). The poem is dated April 10th, 1815, and addressed to Susan Barton with the theme of Clarke’s unreciprocated love for Susan. Clarke’s signature appears under the date at the bottom of the poem. Clarke was born in Bath, Maine, in 1798, the son of a ship merchant. His parents died when Clarke was a teenager, and he soon relocated to New York City where he began to pursue a career as a poet. He married an actress, Mary Brundage, but they soon separated due to Clarke’s financial strife. Clarke’s books sold marginally well, but most of his income was from selling his poems to newspapers, magazines, and journals. Found destitute by a police officer, Clarke was taken to a New York City jail for safety before removal to an asylum. Clarke drowned on March 5, 1842, in his cell of the city prison by water from an open faucet. Posthumously, Clarke’s work and life circumstances influenced later poets, most especially Walt Whitman.

Acquisition Type

Purchase

Provenance

Purchased from James Cummins Bookseller, 26 July 2024.

Language of Description

English

Restrictions Apply

No

Dates

  • Creation: April 10, 1815

Creator

Extent

0.03 Cubic Feet (One letter-sized file folder)

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

Inventory

One handwritten poem