Mary Elizabeth McGrath Blake (September 1, 1840 – February 26, 1907)"Mary Elizabeth McGrath Blake." ''

Dictionary of American Biography The ''Dictionary of American Biography'' (DAB) was a multi-volume dictionary published in New York City by Charles Scribner's Sons under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). History The dictionary was first propo ...

''. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936. ''Biography In Context''. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. was an

Irish-American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

poet.

Early years and education

Mary Elizabeth McGrath was born in

Dungarvan Dungarvan () is a coastal town and harbour in County Waterford, on the south-east coast of Ireland. Prior to the merger of Waterford County Council with Waterford City Council in 2014, Dungarvan was the county town and administrative centre of ...

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, and died in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. The eldest daughter of Patrick McGrath, a stone mason, and Mary (Murphy) McGrath. In 1850, her family emigrated to the United States and settled in

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county. Quincy is part of the Greater Boston area as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in ...

. Her father was well-read and opened a successful

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

works, thus, following her graduation from Quincy High School, was able to send his daughter to

George Barrell Emerson George Barrell Emerson (September 12, 1797 – March 14, 1881) was an American educator and pioneer of women's education. Biography He was born in Kennebunk, Massachusetts (since 1820 in Maine). He graduated from Harvard College in 1817, and so ...

's Private School in

from 1859 to 1861 and Academy of the Sacred Heart in

Manhattanville, New York Manhattanville (also known as West Harlem or West Central Harlem, after its location near Harlem) is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is bordered on the north by 135th Street; on the south by 122nd and 125th Stree ...

from 1861 to 1863 to study music and modern languages.

Career

She worked as a schoolteacher prior to her June 1865 marriage to Dr. John G. Blake, a graduate of

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...

who had admired her published poems before they met in person. They had eleven children; of the six that survived into adulthood, five boys graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and one daughter graduated from

Radcliffe College Radcliffe College was a Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that was founded in 1879. In 1999, it was fully incorporated into Harvard Colle ...

. She became widely published in such Boston publications as ''

The Boston Gazette The ''Boston Gazette'' (1719–1798) was a newspaper published in Boston, in the British North American colonies. It was a weekly newspaper established by William Brooker, who was just appointed Postmaster of Boston, with its first issue releas ...

'', ''

The Boston Transcript The ''Boston Evening Transcript'' was a daily afternoon newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, published for over a century from July 24, 1830, to April 30, 1941. History Founding ''The Transcript'' was founded in 1830 by Henry Dutton and James We ...

'', and ''

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'', the latter of which featured her popular series of "Rambling Talks". A devout Catholic, she was also frequently published in religious publications like ''

Catholic World ''The Catholic World'' was an American periodical founded by Paulist Father Isaac Thomas Hecker in April 1865. It was published by the Paulist Fathers for over a century. According to Paulist Press, Hecker "wanted to create an intellectual jo ...

'' and ''The Congregationalist'' (a Protestant publication) and in such national publications as ''

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''. She wrote poetry to commemorate Boston memorials and events, including the deaths of abolitionist

Wendell Phillips Wendell Phillips (November 29, 1811 – February 2, 1884) was an American abolitionist, labor reformer, temperance activist, advocate for Native Americans, orator, and attorney. According to George Lewis Ruffin, a black attorney, Phillip ...

and Admiral

David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral (United States), admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ...

, the

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of Archbishop

John Joseph Williams John Joseph Williams was an American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fourth Bishop and first Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, serving between 1866 and his death in 1907. Early life and education Williams was born in Bosto ...

, and the 150th anniversary of the

Charitable Irish Society of Boston The Charitable Irish Society of Boston was founded in 1737 and is the oldest Irish organization in North America. Its early charitable efforts focused around providing temporary loans and assistance in finding work to Irish immigrants. The society ...

. Her admirers included

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

and

Oliver Wendell Holmes Oliver Wendell Holmes may refer to: People * Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809–1894), poet, physician, and essayist, father of the judge * Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841–1935), an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, son ...

, the latter of whom wrote of her "You are one of the birds that must sing." An inveterate traveller, she created an image that a housewife must not stop to think of her responsibilities. "The stay-at-home weight will be so overwhelming in a proportion that she could not be propelled away by anything short of a catapult." Her first collection of poetry, ''Poems'', was not published until 1882. Blake's first book was inspired by nature, but her biggest inspiration towards her poems was her family. Blake created several poems on the death of children that portray the times about childhood mortality. Her poems contemplate an attitude towards women's roles: ''Simple Story'' and ''What the Wife’s Heart Said'' desire women to be pleased while serving their husbands and families. Her poem ''The Ballad of Elizabeth Zane'' and ''Isabella of Castille'' (1890) conveys appreciation for spirited, independent women.Blake, Mary. “Mary Elizabeth McGrath Blake” WA 14 Elizabeth Long. Series: 4 Biographies of Women, File: 132. IN: Special Collections & Archives, University of Waterloo. She later published the collections ''Verses along the Way'' (1890) and ''In the Harbour of Hope'' (1907) and two volumes of children's verse, ''The Merry Months All'' (1885) and ''Youth in Twelve Centuries'' (1886). She published three volumes of travel writing: ''On the Wing'' (1883), about her trip to the western United States, serialized in the ''Boston Journal''; ''Mexico: Picturesque, Political, Progressive'' (1888), a collaboration with Margaret F. Sullivan; and ''A Summer Holiday in Europe'' (1890), three of her five trips to Europe were with her children. Blake actively participated in the American Peace Society that influenced her work life and her poems. Her criticism of

militarism Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...

, ''The Coming Reform: A Woman's Word'' (1887), was popular during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blake, Mary Elizabeth 1840 births 1907 deaths American women poets Writers from Quincy, Massachusetts Irish emigrants to the United States People from Dungarvan Writers from Boston 19th-century American poets 19th-century American women writers Writers from County Waterford