T H E B O O K O F A M E R I C A N N E G R O P OETRY James Weldon Johnson The Book of American Negro Poetry Copyright © 1922 by James Weldon Johnson. This eBook belongs to the Public Domain and was originally digitized as part of another project in the digital humanities. It is presented here in a more readable format for educators and students alike to employ as an Open Educational Resource at the secondary and post-secondary levels. Formatting and typesetting by Troy E. Spier (2020). CONTENTS PREFACE ..................................................................................................... 2 PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR ............................................................. 56 A NEGRO LOVE SONG ...................................................................... 56 LITTLE BROWN BABY ...................................................................... 57 SHIPS THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT ............................................... 58 LOVER'S LANE ..................................................................................... 59 THE DEBT .............................................................................................. 61 THE HAUNTED OAK.......................................................................... 61 WHEN DE CO'N PONE'S HOT ........................................................ 64 A DEATH SONG ................................................................................... 65 JAMES EDWIN CAMPBELL .............................................................. 67 NEGRO SERENADE ............................................................................ 67 DE CUNJAH MAN ................................................................................ 68 UNCLE EPH'S BANJO SONG ...........................................................69 OL' DOC' HYAR .................................................................................... 70 WHEN OL' SIS' JUDY PRAY ............................................................... 71 COMPENSATION ................................................................................ 73 JAMES D. CORROTHERS ................................................................... 75 AT THE CLOSED GATE OF JUSTICE ........................................... 75 PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR ............................................................ 76 THE NEGRO SINGER .......................................................................... 77 THE BOOK OF AMERICAN NEGRO POETRY THE ROAD TO THE BOW ................................................................ 77 IN THE MATTER OF TWO MEN ................................................... 79 AN INDIGNATION DINNER ........................................................... 80 DREAM AND THE SONG .................................................................. 82 DANIEL WEBSTER DAVIS ................................................................ 84 'WEH DOWN SOUF ............................................................................ 84 HOG MEAT ............................................................................................ 85 WILLIAM H.A. MOORE ...................................................................... 88 DUSK SONG ........................................................................................... 88 IT WAS NOT FATE ............................................................................. 90 W.E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS ............................................................ 92 A LITANY OF ATLANTA ................................................................... 92 GEORGE MARION MCCLELLAN ................................................... 97 DOGWOOD BLOSSOMS .................................................................. 97 A BUTTERFLY IN CHURCH ............................................................ 98 THE HILLS OF SEWANEE ................................................................ 98 THE FEET OF JUDAS .........................................................................99 WILLIAM STANLEY BRAITHWAITE ......................................... 101 SANDY STAR AND WILLIE GEE .................................................. 101 SANDY STAR ....................................................................................... 101 DEL CASCAR ....................................................................................... 104 TURN ME TO MY YELLOW LEAVES ......................................... 105 IRONIC: LL.D. ..................................................................................... 105 SCINTILLA ........................................................................................... 106 SIC VITA ................................................................................................ 106 RHAPSODY .......................................................................................... 107 GEORGE REGINALD MARGETSON ........................................... 108 STANZAS FROM THE FLEDGLING BARD AND THE POETRY SOCIETY ............................................................................. 108 JAMES WELDON JOHNSON ........................................................... 112 O BLACK AND UNKNOWN BARDS ............................................. 112 SENCE YOU WENT AWAY .............................................................. 114 2 JAMES WELDON JOHNSON THE CREATION .................................................................................. 114 THE WHITE WITCH ......................................................................... 118 MOTHER NIGHT ............................................................................... 120 O SOUTHLAND!.................................................................................. 121 BROTHERS .......................................................................................... 122 JOHN WESLEY HOLLOWAY .......................................................... 129 MISS MELERLEE ............................................................................... 129 CALLING THE DOCTOR ................................................................ 130 THE CORN SONG .............................................................................. 131 BLACK MAMMIES ............................................................................. 133 LESLIE PINCKNEY HILL .................................................................. 136 TUSKEGEE ........................................................................................... 136 CHRISTMAS AT MELROSE ........................................................... 136 SUMMER MAGIC ............................................................................... 138 THE TEACHER ................................................................................... 139 EDWARD SMYTH JONES.................................................................. 141 A SONG OF THANKS ........................................................................ 141 RAY G. DANDRIDGE .......................................................................... 144 TIME TO DIE ....................................................................................... 144 'ITTLE TOUZLE HEAD .................................................................... 144 ZALKA PEETRUZA ............................................................................ 146 SPRIN' FEVAH ..................................................................................... 146 DE DRUM MAJAH ............................................................................... 147 FENTON JOHNSON ........................................................................... 149 CHILDREN OF THE SUN ................................................................ 149 THE NEW DAY ................................................................................... 150 TIRED ..................................................................................................... 152 THE BANJO PLAYER ........................................................................ 153 THE SCARLET WOMAN ................................................................. 154 R. NATHANIEL DETT ........................................................................ 155 THE RUBINSTEIN STACCATO ETUDE .................................... 155 3 THE BOOK OF AMERICAN NEGRO POETRY GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON ................................................... 157 THE HEART OF A WOMAN ........................................................... 157 YOUTH ................................................................................................... 157 LOST ILLUSIONS .............................................................................. 158 I WANT TO DIE WHILE YOU LOVE ME .................................. 158 WELT ..................................................................................................... 159 MY LITTLE DREAMS ....................................................................... 159 CLAUDE MCKAY ................................................................................. 160 THE LYNCHING ................................................................................ 160 IF WE MUST DIE................................................................................ 160 TO THE WHITE FIENDS ................................................................. 161 THE HARLEM DANCER .................................................................. 162 HARLEM SHADOWS ........................................................................ 162 AFTER THE WINTER ......................................................................