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American Literature Commons

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Literature in English, North America, Ethnic and Cultural Minority

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Articles 181 - 187 of 187

Full-Text Articles in American Literature

Lyrics Of The Hearthside, Paul Laurence Dunbar Jan 1899

Lyrics Of The Hearthside, Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar Books

Several of the poems in Lyrics of the Hearthside had appeared previously in magazines such as The Ladies' Home Journal, The Century Magazine, and Cosmopolitan Magazine. The book also contains one of Dunbar's most famous poems, "Sympathy," which later inspired the title to Maya Angelou's autobiography, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. Many of the covers of Dunbar's published works reflect the tone of the works inside. Here, for example, the cover design incorporates cotton, connecting with Dunbar's descriptions of plantation agriculture and life.


Poems Of Cabin And Field, Paul Laurence Dunbar Jan 1899

Poems Of Cabin And Field, Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar Books

Illustrated with Photographs by the Hampton Institute Camera Club and Decorations by Alice Morse.


Folks From Dixie, Paul Laurence Dunbar Jan 1898

Folks From Dixie, Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar Books

Dunbar's first collection of short stories was published in 1898. Much like his earlier books of poetry, Dunbar's stories examined the lives of African-Americans both before and after emancipation. While his poetry tended to portray more sentimental situations, this collection of stories offered a harsher look at the realities of the situation, especially regarding racial prejudice. His first work of fiction was well-received, which encouraged him to publish more.


The Uncalled, Paul Laurence Dunbar Jan 1898

The Uncalled, Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar Books

The Uncalled was Dunbar's first novel, and many consider it to be semi-autobiographical in nature. The book told the story of fictional pastor Frederick Brent, a man plagued by childhood family issues whose adventures in the ministry proved less than successful. The book was much criticized as being dull and unengaging.


Lyrics Of Lowly Life, Paul Laurence Dunbar Jan 1896

Lyrics Of Lowly Life, Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar Books

Lyrics of Lowly Life contains primarily works from Dunbar's two previous books, Oak and Ivy and Majors and Minors. The book was supported financially by Henry A. Tobey and Charles A. Thatcher, two gentlemen from Toledo, Ohio, who had also assisted with the funding of Majors and Minors. The book also contained an important introduction, written by William Dean Howells. The success of this book prompted Dunbar to travel on a six-month reading tour of England.


Majors And Minors, Paul Laurence Dunbar Jan 1895

Majors And Minors, Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar Books

Majors and Minors reflects the dual styles of Dunbar's poetry. The "major" poems were works written in standard English, while the "minor" poems were his dialect poems. However, it was the "minors" section which caught the attention of reviewer William Dean Howells, editor of Harper's Weekly. Howells' review of the book singled out and praised Dunbar's use of dialect, bringing national attention to those works to the detriment of his poetry in standard verse.


Oak And Ivy, Paul Laurence Dunbar Jan 1893

Oak And Ivy, Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar Books

Oak and Ivy was Dunbar's first published volume of poetry. He self-published the book and sold it for $1 to the people who rode in the elevator he operated in the Callahan Building in downtown Dayton. Dunbar also took the book to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, where he worked for Frederick Douglass in the Haitian exposition.