Sample Final Project Write Up
At first glance, Paul Laurence Dunbar doesn’t seem to be a lost voice. He earned a living as a poet and was the first African-American to do so. In fact, if you ever hear of a Dunbar High School, it’s likely named after him. Any reputable—in my mind—collection of 19th Century Poetry would include him. I would expect 19th Century Literature classes to cover him to some extent.
I consider Dunbar a lost voice because of a couple of my favorite poems. It seems to me that his audience wouldn’t let him write the way he wanted. Many of his poems can fall into two broad categories: Negro songs/spirituals/dialect poems and 19th Century Romantic poems. I want you to get a sample of each “type” of poem and see what I mean.
Read a sample of a poem written in dialect: “A Negro Love Song.”
Now read one in a different, potentially more mainstream, typical 19th Century feel—and one of my favorites: “We Wear the Mask.”
The two poems have distinctly different styles, which speak to Dunbar’s talent. But I’d argue the poems might point to something else—something deeper and more troubling. Dunbar didn’t have the same freedom his white contemporaries enjoyed. His society did not let him write how and what he wanted. In the 19th century, white men wrote poetry on lofty subjects. Society allowed women to write, but you might find more domestic subjects. Dunbar’s talent allowed him to earn a living and find audiences, but I’ve found society limited him even more than others.
I consider his voice lost because he couldn’t write how or what he wanted. Read his poem, “The Poet.” But Dunbar inspires me in that he fights on. He refuses to be silent even though no one might listen. He holds on to hope. Read, “The Poet and his Song.”
Some places to find Dunbar’s Poetry:
I consider Dunbar a lost voice because of a couple of my favorite poems. It seems to me that his audience wouldn’t let him write the way he wanted. Many of his poems can fall into two broad categories: Negro songs/spirituals/dialect poems and 19th Century Romantic poems. I want you to get a sample of each “type” of poem and see what I mean.
Read a sample of a poem written in dialect: “A Negro Love Song.”
Now read one in a different, potentially more mainstream, typical 19th Century feel—and one of my favorites: “We Wear the Mask.”
The two poems have distinctly different styles, which speak to Dunbar’s talent. But I’d argue the poems might point to something else—something deeper and more troubling. Dunbar didn’t have the same freedom his white contemporaries enjoyed. His society did not let him write how and what he wanted. In the 19th century, white men wrote poetry on lofty subjects. Society allowed women to write, but you might find more domestic subjects. Dunbar’s talent allowed him to earn a living and find audiences, but I’ve found society limited him even more than others.
I consider his voice lost because he couldn’t write how or what he wanted. Read his poem, “The Poet.” But Dunbar inspires me in that he fights on. He refuses to be silent even though no one might listen. He holds on to hope. Read, “The Poet and his Song.”
Some places to find Dunbar’s Poetry:
- The University of Dayton's Dunbar Website A good introductory index and some background.
- Lyrics of Lowly Life (A Collection of Dunbar's Poetry)
- Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadow (A Collection of Dunbar's Poetry)
posted by pfouts at 6:05 AM
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