African-American Poetry
African-American poetry in the 19th century saw the success of authors such as Frances E.W. Harper (1825-1911), Charlotte Grimke (1837-1914), George Moses Horton (1798-1883), and Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906). Just to name a few.
The Slave Mother, Frances E.W. Harper (1854)
"The Slave Mother" is a poem written by African-American poet and suffragist Frances E.W. Harper, published along with her other works in Poems on miscellaneous subjects (1857).
Sympathy, Paul Laurence Dunbar (1899)
Paul Laurence Dunbar wrote the poem "Sympathy" during his time working at the Library of Congress. The poor working conditions and oppressive nature of his working environment inspired the poetic imagery of a caged bird - imagery which came to embody the oppression of African-Americans after the Civil War.
This poem inspired the title of Maya Angelou autobiography, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.
Watch Maya Angelou read Dunbar's poem in this clip below