Guide to the Richard W. Rychtarik/Hart Crane Papers 1923-1935 MSS 103

Harold Hart Crane was born in 1899 and became a significant voice within modernist American poetry of the first half of the twentieth century. Crane moved to New York City and mixed with other prominent writers of the time and was influenced by both the contemporary currents in poetry, and his early affinity for nineteenth-century French poets. He struggled with drinking and problems that arose from being gay in a culture that rejected homosexuality. In 1930, Crane received some acclaim from the publication of "The Bridge" which is his book-length poem that vivaciously depicts New York City and his outlook on America in general. In 1932, upon completing a Guggenheim fellowship in Mexico, he setoff by ship back to New York, but committed suicide by jumping from the deck during his passage.