Richard Steere
Richard Steere was an English poet born in 1643 in Chertsey, Surrey. He served an apprenticeship as a cordwainer in London, where he became involved with the Whig political cause. His literary career began in earnest with the publication of his anti-Catholic poem "The History of Babylonish Cabals" in 1682, followed by two satirical responses to John Dryden's work. Facing political pressures, Steere fled to Boston and later wrote "A Monumental Memorial for Marine Mercy," a significant poem reflecting on a maritime disaster as an allegorical redemption of the human soul.
In addition to his literary pursuits, Steere engaged actively in the political scene of New London, Connecticut, where he opposed mandated religious funding. He was married three times, with his final years spent on Long Island until his death in 1721. Steere's poetry collection "The Daniel Catcher" is particularly noted for its innovative use of poetic forms, including the first American poem in blank verse. His works are distinguished by their originality and experimental nature, setting him apart from many of his contemporaries.
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Richard Steere
Poet
- Born: 1643
- Birthplace: Chertsey, Surrey, England
- Died: June 20, 1721
- Place of death: Southold, Long Island, New York
Biography
Richard Steere was born in Chertsey, Surrey, England, in 1643. Although much is not known about his childhood, it appears that he attended the local schools. He was apprenticed to Master Henry Brown, a London cordwainer, in 1658, and he finished his apprenticeship eight years later. While in London, Steere apparently was interested in the Whig cause, and he began to write for them. He published his first major work, a heroic, anti-Catholic poem The History of Babylonish Cabals: Or, The Intrigues, Progression, Opposition, Defeat, and Destruction of the Daniel-Catchers in 1682. In the same year, Steere continued his anti-Catholic barrages by publishing two satirical pieces which were intended as an answer to John Dryden’s poem, Absalom and Achitophel, which was an attack on the Earl of Shaftesbury. Not long after the publication of his pieces, King Charles II began to close down the Whig presses, and Steere fled to Boston.
Steere boarded a ship to London in December, 1683, and disaster struck the vessel during the voyage. The event prompted him to write A Monumental Memorial for Marine Mercy, which literary historians consider as one of the finest poems ever written about a marine disaster. Steere’s poem interpreted the event as an allegory for redemption of the human soul. By 1685, Steere was acting as an agent for New London, Connecticut, merchant John Wheeler. After Wheeler’s death, Steere married his widow, Elizabeth, and inherited the business. Steere became active in the politics of New London, and he signed a document that criticized the government for forcing people to pay for a Presbyterian ministry, regardless of their religious affiliation.
In 1710, Steere moved from New London to Southold on Long Island, New York. His wife, Elizabeth, died two years later, and Steere remarried a short time after her death. His second wife, Margaret Sylvester, died in 1713, not long after their marriage. Steere married for the third time in 1714, wedding Bethiah Mapes. He remained on Long Island until his death in 1721.
Steere’s American work, The Daniel Catcher, is considered his best collection of poetry. Although the poem The Daniel Catcher, which mimicked Dryden’s work, was an unsuccessful attack on Puritanism, other poems in the collection are noteworthy. The poem “Upon the Caelestial Embassy” was unusual because it was about the Nativity, and Puritanism forbade the celebration of Christmas. Another poem, “Earth’s Felicities, Heaven’s Allowances,” was notable because it was the first American poem written in blank verse. Steere’s poetry remains important because of his experimentation with poetic forms, and because his poetry was not imitative, like that of his contemporaries.