Category: Paul Laurence Dunbar
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Sympathy
“I know why the caged bird sings.” Paul Laurence Dunbar’s 1899 masterpiece is a searing exploration of freedom and confinement. Read the poem that inspired generations of writers.
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In Summer
by Paul Laurence Dunbar Oh, summer has clothed the earthIn a cloak from the loom of the sun!And a mantle, too, of the skies’ soft blue,And a belt where the rivers run. And now for the kiss of the wind,And the touch of the air’s soft hands,With the rest from strife and the heat of…
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“Little Brown Baby” by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 – 1906)
Here’s an excerpt from a #poem, entitled, “Little Brown #Baby” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. “Little brown baby wif spa’klin’ eyes Who’s pappy’s darlin’ an’ who’s pappy’s chile? Who is it all de day nevah once tries Fu’ to be cross, er once loses dat smile?”
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“Dreams” by Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872 – 1906)
What dreams we have and how they flyLike rosy clouds across the sky;Of wealth, of fame, of sure success,Of love that comes to cheer and bless;And how they wither, how they fade,The waning wealth, the jilting jade –The fame that for a moment gleams,Then flies forever, -dreams, ah -dreams! O burning doubt and long regretO…
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“Evening” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
“Beneath some friendly blade of grass The lazy beetle cowers; The coffers of the air are filled With offerings from the flowers.”
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“Ships That Pass In The Night” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Out in the sky the great dark clouds are massing; I look far out into the pregnant night, Where I can hear a solemn booming gun And catch the gleaming of a random light, That tells me that the ship I seek is passing, passing. My tearful eyes my soul’s deep hurt are glassing; For…
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“Morning Song of Love” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Darling, my darling, my heart is on the wing, It flies to thee this morning like a bird, Like happy birds in springtime my spirits soar and sing, The same sweet song thine ears have often heard. The sun is in my window, the shadow on the lea, The wind is moving in the branches…
Stanza & Story 