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Joseph Rodman Drake
1795–1820
A young New York poet and doctor, he became one of the early republic’s most promising literary voices before dying at just twenty-five. He is still remembered for vivid, romantic poems and for helping fix the legend of “The Croakers” in American literary history.
1 Audiobook
The Culprit Fay, and Other Poems
by Joseph Rodman Drake
About the author
Born in New York City in 1795, Joseph Rodman Drake was educated as a physician while also building a reputation as a gifted poet. His writing appeared in the city’s literary circles during the early 1800s, and his talent drew attention quickly because of its energy, wit, and strong feeling.
He is especially known for poems such as The American Flag and The Culprit Fay, works that helped make him a memorable figure in early American poetry. Drake also wrote the satirical “Croaker” pieces with Fitz-Greene Halleck, a lively collaboration that became famous in New York literary life.
His life was brief—he died in 1820—but his work continued to be read long after his death. Part of his lasting appeal comes from that mix of promise and poignancy: a poet who achieved real distinction very young and left behind a small but influential body of work.