Product Description

With an introduction to Lyrics of Lowly Life.

Product Details

• Published on: 1950
• Binding: Unknown Binding
• 479 pages

Review
Absence
Advice
After A Visit
After Many Days
After The Quarrel
After While
Alexander Crummell - Dead
Alice
Anchored
An Ante-bellum Sermon
Appreciation
At Cheshire Cheese
At Loafing-holt
At Night
At Sunset Time
At The Tavern
The Awakening
A Back-log Song
Ballad
Ballad
The Barrier
Behind The Arras
Bein' Back Home
Beyond The Years
Black Samson Of Brandywine
Blue
The Bohemian
Booker T. Washington
A Border Ballad
A Boy's Summer Song
A Bridal Measure
By Rugged Ways
By The Stream I Dream In Calm Delight
A Cabin Tale; The Young Master Asks For A Story
The Capture
A Career
The Change
The Change Has Come
Changing Time
The Chase
A Choice
Chrismus Is A-comin'
Christmas
Christmas Carol
A Christmas Folksong
Christmas In The Heart
Circumstances Alter Cases
The Colored Soldiers
Communion
Comparison
Confessional
A Confidence
The Conquerors; The Black Troops In Cuba
The Crisis
Curiosity
Curtain
The Dance
Dawn
Day
De Critters' Dance
De Way T'ings Come
Dead
Death
The Death Of The First Born
The Delinquent
Dely
Despair
Differences
The Dilettante: A Modern Type
Diplomacy
Dirge
Dirge For A Soldier
The Discovery
Distinction
The Disturber
Douglass
The Dove
Dream Song: 1
Dream Song: 2
The Dreamer
Dreamin' Town
Dreams (1)
Dreams (2)
Drizzle
A Drowsy Day
An Easy-goin' Feller
Encouraged
The End Of The Chapter
Equipment
Ere Sleep Comes Down To Soothe The Weary Eyes
Evening
Expectation
Faith
Farewell To Arcady
The Farm Child's Lullaby
The Fisher Child's Lullaby
A Florida Night
Foolin' Wid De Seasons
For The Man Who Fails
The Forest Greeting
Forever
The Fount Of Tears
Frederick Douglass
A Frolic
From The Porch At Runnymede
The Garret
A Golden Day
Good Night
The Gourd
A Grievance
Growin' Gray
The Haunted Oak
Her Thought And His
Hope
Howdy, Honey, Howdy
Hunting Song
Hymn
If
In An English Garden
In August
In May
In Summer
In Summer Time
In The Tents Of Akbar
Inspiration
Invitation To Love
Ione
James Whitcomb Riley (from A Westerner's Point Of View)
Jealous
Jilted
Johnny Speaks
Keep A Song Up On De Way
Kidnaped
The King Is Dead
The Knight
The Lapse
The Lawyer's Ways
A Lazy Day
The Lesson
A Letter
Li'l' Gal
Life
Life's Tragedy
The Lily Of The Valley
Limitations
A Little Christmas Basket
Little Lucy Landman
Liza May
Long Ago
'long To'ds Night
Longing
The Looking-glass
A Lost Dream
Love
Love And Grief
Love Despoiled
A Love Letter
A Love Song
Love's Apotheosis
Love's Castle
Love's Draft
Love's Humility
Love's Phases
Love's Pictures
Love's Seasons
Love-song
Lover's Lane
A Lyric
Lyrics Of Love And Sorrow: 1
Lyrics Of Love And Sorrow: 2
Lyrics Of Love And Sorrow: 3
Lyrics Of Love And Sorrow: 4
Lyrics Of Love And Sorrow: 5
A Madrigal
Mare Rubrum
The Masters
The Meadow Lark
Melancholia
The Memory Of Martha
Merry Autumn
Misapprehension
A Misty Day
The Monk's Walk
Morning
Morning Song Of Love
Mortality
The Murdered Lover
A Musical
My Corn-cob Pipe
My Lady Of Castle Grand
My Little March Girl
My Sort O' Man
My Sweet Brown Gal
The Mystery
The Mystic Sea
Nature And Art; To My Friend Charles Booth Nettleton
The News
Night
Night Of Love
Night, Dim Night
Noddin' By De Fire
Noon
Nora: A Serenade
Not They Who Soar
Nutting Song
October
Ode To Ethiopia
The Old Apple-tree
The Old Cabin
The Old Front Gate
The Old Homestead
An Old Memory
On A Clean Book
On The Death Of W. C.
On The Dedication Of Dorothy Hall
On The River
On The Sea Wall
One Life
Opportunity
Parted
Parted
The Party
Passion And Love
The Path
The Phantom Kiss
Philosophy
Phyllis
The Place Where The Rainbow Ends
The Plantation Child's Lullaby
A Plantation Melody
A Plantation Portrait
A Plea
The Poet
The Poet And The Baby
The Pool
Poor Withered Rose
Possession
Possum
Possum Trot
A Prayer
Precedent
A Preference
Premonition
Preparation
Prometheus
Promise
Protest
Puttin' The Baby Away
The Quilting
Rain-songs
The Real Question
Religion
Reluctance
Remembered
Resignation
Response
Retort
Retrospection
The Right To Die
Right's Security
The Rising Of The Storm
The River Of Ruin
A Roadway
Robert Gould Shaw
Roses
Roses And Pearls
A Sailor's Song
The Sand-man
Scamp
The Secret
The Seedling
She Gave Me A Rose
She Told Her Beads With Downcast Eyes
Ships That Pass In The Night
Silence
Slow Through The Dark
Snowin'
Soliloquy Of A Turkey
A Song
The Song
Song
Song
A Song
Sonnet (on An Old Book With Uncut Leaves)
The Sparrow
Speakin' At De Cou'thouse
Speakin' O' Christmas
A Spiritual
Spring Fever
A Spring Wooing
A Starry Night
The Stirrup Cup
The Sum
A Summer Night
A Summer Pastoral
A Summer's Night
Sunset
Suppose
Sympathy
Temptation
A Thanksgiving Poem
Then And Now
Theology
Thou Art My Lute
Till The Wind Gets Right
To A Captious Critic
To A Dead Friend
To A Lady Playing The Harp
To A Violet Found On All Saints' Day
To An Ingrate
To Dan
To E.h.k. (on The Receipt Of A Familiar Poem)
To Her
To J. Q.
To Louise
To Pfrimmer (lines On Reading `driftwood')
To The Eastern Shore
To The Memory Of Mary Young
To The Miami
To The Road
To The South On Its New Slavery
Trouble In De Kitchen
The Tryst
Twell De Night Is Pas'
Twilight
Two Little Boots
Two Songs: 1
Two Songs: 2
Unexpressed
The Unlucky Apple
The Unsung Heroes
Vagrants
The Valse
Vengeance Is Sweet
The Veteran
The Visitor
The Voice Of The Banjo
W'en I Gits Home
Waiting
A Warm Day In Winter
We Wear The Mask
Weltschmerz
What's The Use
When A Feller's Itchin' To Be Spanked
When Dey 'listed Colored Soldiers
When Sam'l Sings
When The Old Man Smokes
When Winter Darkening All Around
Whip-poor-will And Katy-did
Whistling Sam [with Music]
Whittier
Why Fades A Dream?
The Wind And The Sea
Winter's Approach
A Winter's Day
Winter-song
The Wooing
Worn Out
The Wraith
Yesterday And Tomorrow
Copyright© 1998 Roth Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved -- Table of Poems from Poem Finder®

Customer Reviews

"Poet Laureate of the Negro Race"
Paul Laurence Dunbar was the first great Black poet; Booker T. Washington called him the "Poet Laureate of the Negro Race". Dunbar, the son of ex-slaves, grew up in Dayton, OH, where he was friendly with the Wright Brothers. He had a successful high school career--founding editor of the school paper and elected class president of the predominantly white school--but upon graduation, he was forced to work as an elevator operator. His second book of poetry was praised by William Dean Howells and by age 24, he was one of the most renowned Black literary figures in America.

Dunbar wrote in two different styles. On the one hand, he wrote straightforward classic verse that was filled with racial pride:

THE COLORED SOLDIERS

IF the muse were mine to tempt it And my feeble voice were strong, If my tongue were trained to measures, I would sing a stirring song. I would sing a song heroic Of those noble sons of Ham, Of the gallant colored soldiers Who fought for Uncle Sam!

In the early days you scorned them, And with many a flip and flout Said "These battles are the white man's, And the whites will fight them out." Up the hills you fought and faltered, In the vales you strove and bled, While your ears still heard the thunder Of the foes' advancing tread.

Then distress fell on the nation, And the flag was drooping low; Should the dust pollute your banner? No! the nation shouted, No! So when War, in savage triumph, Spread abroad his funeral pall-- Then you called the co]ored soldiers, And they answered to your call.

And like hounds unleashed and eager For the life blood of the prey, Sprung they forth and bore them bravely In the thickest of the fray. And where'er the fight was hottest, Where the bullets fastest fell, There they pressed unblanched and fearless At the very mouth of hell.

Ah, they rallied to the standard To uphold it by their might; None were stronger in the labors, None were braver in the fight. From the blazing breach of Wagner To the plains of Olustee, They were foremost in the fight Of the battles of the free.

And at Pillow! God have mercy On the deeds committed there, An the souls of those poor victims Sent to Thee without a prayer. Let the fulness of Thy pity O'er the hot wrought spirits sway Of the gallant colored soldiers Who fell fighting on that day!

Yes, the Blacks enjoy their freedom, And they won it dearly,too; For the life blood of their thousands Did the southern fields bedew. In the darkness of their bondage, In the depths of slavery's night, Their muskets flashed the dawning, And they fought their way to light

They were comrades then and brothers, Are they more or less to-day? They were good to stop a bullet And to front the fearful fray. They were citizens and soldiers, When rebellion raised its head; And the traits that made them worthy,-- Ah! those virtues are not dead.

They have shared your nightly vigils, They have shared your daily toil; And their blood with yours commingling Has enriched the Southern soil. They have met as fierce a foeman, And have been as brave and true.

And their deeds shall find a record In the registry of Fame; For their blood has cleansed completely Every blot of Slavery's shame.

So all honor and all glory To those noble sons of Ham-- The gallant colored soldiers Who fought for Uncle Sam!

WE WEAR THE MASK

We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,-- This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries To thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile Beneath our feet, and long the mile; But let the world dream other-wise, We wear the mask!

But on the other hand, he was a master of dialect poems:

AN ANTE-BELLUM SERMON.

WE is gathahed hyeah, my brothahs, In dis howlin' wildaness, Fu' to speak some words of comfo't To each othah in distress. An' we chooses fu' ouah subjic' Dis--we 'll 'splain it by an' by; "An' de Lawd said, 'Moses, Moses,' An' de man said, 'Hyeah am I.'"

Now ole Pher'oh, down in Egypt, Was de wuss man evah bo'n, An' he had de Hebrew chillun Down dah wukin' in his co'n; 'Twell de Lawd got tiahed o' his foolin', An' sez he: "I 'll let him know-- Look hyeah, Moses, go tell Pher'oh Fu' to let dem chillun go."

"An' ef he refuse to do it, I will make him rue de houah,

Fu' I 'll empty down on Egypt All de vials of my powah." Yes, he did--an' Pher'oh's ahmy Was n't wuth a ha'f a dime; Fu' de Lawd will he'p his chillun, You kin trust him evah time.

An' yo' enemies may 'sail you In de back an' in de front; But de Lawd is all aroun' you, Fu' to ba' de battle's brunt. Dey kin fo'ge yo' chains an' shackles F'om de mountains to de sea; But de Lawd will sen' some Moses Fu' to set his chillun free.

An' de lan' shall hyeah his thundah, Lak a blas' f'om Gab'el's ho'n, Fu' de Lawd of hosts is mighty When he girds his ahmor on. But fu' feah some one mistakes me, I will pause right hyeah to say, Dat I 'm still a-preachin' ancient, I ain't talkin' 'bout to-day.

But I tell you, fellah christuns, Things 'll happen mighty strange; Now, de Lawd done dis fu' Isrul, An' his ways don't nevah change, An' de love he showed to Isrul Was n't all on Isrul spent; Now don't run an' tell yo' mastahs Dat I 's preachin' discontent.

'Cause I is n't; I 'se a-judgin' Bible people by deir ac's; I 'se a-givin' you de Scriptuah, I 'se a-handin' you de fac's. Cose ole Pher'oh b'lieved in slav'ry, But de Lawd he let him see, Dat de people he put bref in,-- Evah mothah's son was free.

An' dahs othahs thinks lak Pher'oh, But dey calls de Scriptuah liar, Fu' de Bible says "a servant Is a-worthy of his hire." An' you cain't git roun' nor thoo dat, An' you cain't git ovah it, Fu' whatevah place you git in, Dis hyeah Bible too 'll fit.

So you see de Lawd's intention, Evah sence de worl' began, Was dat His almighty freedom Should belong to evah man, But I think it would be bettah, Ef I 'd pause agin to say, Dat I 'm talkin' 'bout ouah freedom In a Bibleistic way.

But de Moses is a-comin', An' he 's comin', suah and fas' We kin hyeah his feet a-trompin', We kin hyeah his trumpit blas'. But I want to wa'n you people, Don't you git too brigity; An' don't you git to braggin' 'Bout dese things, you wait an' see.

But when Moses wif his powah Comes an' sets us chillun free, We will praise de gracious Mastah Dat has gin us liberty; An' we 'll shout ouah halleluyahs, On dat mighty reck'nin' day, When we 'se reco'nised ez citiz'-- Huh uh! Chillun, let us pray!

Inevitably, in a Reconstruction America that was both nostalgic and regionalist, his dialect poems were wildly popular & tended to overshadow his more serious verse. As a result, he has always been a figure of some controversy in Black America; alternately dismissed for popularizing a derogatory stereotype of Blacks and hailed as a great literary figure. Dunbar captures this dichotomy in his own poem, The Poet:

The Poet

He sang of life, serenely sweet, With , now ant then, a deeper note. From some high peak, nigh yet remote, He voiced the world's absorbing beat.

He sang of love when earth was young, And Love, itself, was in his lays. But ah, the world, it turned to praise A jingle in a broken tongue.

Given the perspective of 100 years, it seems to me that he deserves to be read by all Americans.

GRADE: B+

Wonderful
I have looked for this book of poems for a long time. I am so happy I found this one.