Arthur Davison Ficke

Who was Arthur Davison Ficke?

Arthur Davison Ficke was an American poet, playwright, and expert of Japanese art. Ficke had a national reputation as "a poet's poet," and "one of America's most expert sonneteers." Under the alias Anne Knish, Ficke co-authored Spectra. A spoof of then-trending experimental verse, the collection of strange poems unexpectedly caused a sensation among modernist critics which eclipsed Ficke's recognition as a traditional prose stylist. Ficke is also known for his relationship with poet Edna St. Vincent Millay.

After years of illness, Ficke took his own life in 1945.