As I mentioned before, I went to a high school named for Dunbar, so I've been familiar with his poetry since, oh, almost ever. My favorites of his poems are his lighter ballade verse, but I'm fond of this one as well.
His best-known poem, "We Wear The Mask", addresses the complications of what is now called "code switching" for Black Americans- the maintenance of a private identity that is substantially different from what was (is?) expected of them in public.
He was also a prolific writer of prose, authoring a large number of short stories and at least one novel. More so than his poetry, his prose is revelatory about how Black people existed in the time he was writing.
As I mentioned before, I went to a high school named for Dunbar, so I've been familiar with his poetry since, oh, almost ever. My favorites of his poems are his lighter ballade verse, but I'm fond of this one as well.
“Each year has seen you my brothers progressing…”
Beautiful. If only.
My love of the Fireside Poets has never wavered, so while I also enjoy poets of the Harlem Renaissance, I also read Dunbar with great pleasure.
His best-known poem, "We Wear The Mask", addresses the complications of what is now called "code switching" for Black Americans- the maintenance of a private identity that is substantially different from what was (is?) expected of them in public.
He was also a prolific writer of prose, authoring a large number of short stories and at least one novel. More so than his poetry, his prose is revelatory about how Black people existed in the time he was writing.