McClatchy's poetic work was wide-ranging. He authored six collections of poetry, the fifth of which, "Hazmat", was a finalist for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. He wrote texts for musical settings, including ten opera libretti, for such composers as Michael Dellaira, Elliot Goldenthal, Daron Hagen, Lowell Liebermann, Lorin Maazel, Tobias Picker, Bernard Rands, Ned Rorem, Bruce Saylor, William Schuman and Francis Thorne. His honors include an Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1991). He also was one of the New York Public Literary Lions, and received the 2000 Connecticut Governor's Arts Award.