Arthur Macy

Born in Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 1842, Arthur Macy came from a Quaker background that shaped the way later readers described him. He is remembered as an American poet whose work was gathered in Poems, published in 1905 after his death.

Macy also served in the Union Army during the Civil War, enlisting in Company B of the 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry. Accounts connected with his work note that he was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, an experience that helps explain the note of memory and lived feeling in some of his writing.

His poetry ranges from reflective and personal pieces to lighter, more vivid poems. One of his best-known books, A Bit of Color, was published in 1896 and is especially associated with Paris, showing his eye for scene, mood, and passing moments. He died in 1904.