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PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR
Incomparably the foremost exponent in verse of the life and character ofthe Negro people has been Paul Laurence Dunbar. This gifted young poetrepresented perfectly the lyric and romantic quality of the race, withits moodiness, its abandon, its love of song, and its pathetic irony,and his career has been the inspiration of thousands of the young menand women whose problems he had to face, and whose aspirations he did somuch to realize.
Dunbar was born in Dayton, Ohio, June 27, 1872. His parents wereuneducated but earnest hard-working people, and throughout his life thelove of the poet for his mother was ever a dominating factor. From veryearly years Dunbar made little attempts at rhyming; but what heafterwards called his first poetical achievement was his recitation ofsome original verses at a Sunday School Easter celebration when he wasthirteen years old. He attended the Steele High School in Dayton, wherehe was the only Negro student in his class; and by reason of his modestand yet magnetic personality, he became very popular with hisschoolmates. In his second year he became a member of the literarysociety of the school, afterwards became president of the same, as wellas editor of _The High School Times_, a monthly student publication, andon his completion of the course in 1891 he composed the song for hisclass. Somewhat irregularly for the next two or three years Dunbarcontinued his studies, but he never had the advantage of a regularcollege education. On leaving the high school, after vainly seeking forsomething better, he accepted a position as elevator boy, working forfour dollars a week. In 1893, at the World's Columbian Exposition inChicago, he was given a position by Frederick Douglass, who was incharge of the exhibit from Hayti. "Oak and Ivy" appeared in 1893, and"Majors and Minors" in 1895. These little books were privately printed;Dunbar had to assume full responsibility for selling them, and notunnaturally he had many bitter hours of discouragement. Asking people tobuy his verses grated on his sensitive nature, and he once declared to afriend that he would never sell another book. Sometimes, however, hesucceeded beyond his highest hopes, and gradually, with the assistanceof friends, chief among whom was Dr. H. A. Tobey, of Toledo, the youngpoet came into notice as a reader of his verses. William Dean Howellswrote a full-page review of his poems in the issue of _Harper's Weekly_that contained an account of William McKinley's first nomination for thepresidency. Dunbar was now fairly launched upon his larger fame, and"Lyrics of Lowly Life," published by Dodd, Mead & Co. in 1896,introduced him to the wider reading public. This book is deservedly thepoet's best known. It contained the richest work of his youth and wasreally never surpassed. In 1897 Dunbar enhanced his reputation as areader of his own poems by a visit to England. About this time he wasvery busy, writing numerous poems and magazine articles, and meetingwith a success that was so much greater than that of most of the poetsof the day that it became a vogue. In October, 1897, through theinfluence of Robert G. Ingersoll, he secured employment as an assistantin the reading room of the Library of Congress, Washington; but he gaveup this position after a year, for the confinement and his late work atnight on his own account were making rapid inroads upon his health. OnMarch 6, 1898, Dunbar was married to Alice Ruth Moore, of New Orleans,who also had become prominent as a writer. Early in 1899 he went South,visiting Tuskegee and other schools, and giving many readings. Later inthe same year he went to Colorado in a vain search for health. Bookswere now appearing in rapid succession, short story collections andnovels as well as poems. "The Uncalled," written in London, reflectedthe poet's thought of entering the ministry. It was followed by "TheLove of Landry," a Colorado story; "The Fanatics," and "The Sport of theGods." Collections of short stories were, "Folks from Dixie," "TheStrength of Gideon," "In Old Plantation Days," and "The Heart of HappyHollow." Volumes of verse were "Lyrics of the Hearthside," "Lyrics ofLove and Laughter," "Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadow," as well as severalspecially illustrated volumes. Dunbar bought a home in Dayton, where helived with his mother. His last years were a record of sincerefriendships and a losing fight against disease. He died February 9,1906. He was only thirty-three, but he "had existed millions of years."
PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR]
Unless his novels are considered as forming a distinct class, Dunbar'swork falls naturally into three divisions: the poems in classic English,those in dialect, and the stories in prose. It was his work in the Negrodialect that was his distinct contribution to American literature. Thatthis was not his desire may be seen from the eight lines entitled, "ThePoet," in which he longed for success in the singing of his "deepernotes" and spoke of his dialect as "a jingle in a broken tongue." Anycriticism of Dunbar's classic English verse will have to reckon with thefollowing poems: "Ere Sleep Comes Down to Soothe the Weary Eyes," "ThePoet and His Song," "Life," "Promise and Fulfillment," "Ships That Passin the Night," and "October." In the pure flow of lyrical verse thepoet rarely surpassed his early lines:[1]
Ere sleep comes down to soothe the weary eyes, How questioneth the soul that other soul-- The inner sense which neither cheats nor lies, But self exposes unto self, a scroll Full writ with all life's acts unwise or wise, In characters indelible and known; So, trembling with the shock of sad surprise, The soul doth view its awful self alone, Ere sleep comes down to soothe the weary eyes.
[Footnote 1: As stated in the Preface, we are under obligations to Dodd,Mead & Co. for permission to use the quotations from Dunbar. These arecovered by copyright by this firm, as follows: "Ere Sleep Comes Down toSoothe the Weary Eyes," "The Poet and his Song," and "Life," 1896;"Lullaby," 1899; and "Compensation," 1905.]
"The Poet and his Song" is also distinguished for its simplicity and itslyric quality:
A song is but a little thing, And yet what joy it is to sing! In hours of toil it gives me zest, And when at eve I long for rest; When cows come home along the bars, And in the fold I hear the bell, As night, the Shepherd, herds his stars, I sing my song, and all is well.
* * * * *
Sometimes the sun, unkindly hot, My garden makes a desert spot; Sometimes a blight upon the tree Takes all the fruit away from me; And then with throes of bitter pain Rebellious passions rise and swell; But life is more than fruit or grain, And so I sing, and all is well.
The two stanzas entitled "Life" have probably been quoted more than anyother lines written by the poet:
A crust of bread and a corner to sleep in, A minute to smile and an hour to weep in, A pint of joy to a peck of trouble, And never a laugh but the moans come double; And that is life.
A crust and a corner that love makes precious, With a smile to warm and the tears to refresh us; And joy seems sweeter when cares come after, And a moan is the finest of foils for laughter; And that is life.
"Promise and Fulfillment" was especially admired by Mrs. Minnie MaddernFiske, who frequently recited it with never-failing applause. Of thepoet's own reading of "Ships that Pass in the Night" on one occasion,Brand Whitlock wrote: "That last evening he recited--oh! what a voice hehad--his 'Ships that Pass in the Night.' I can hear him now and see theexpression on his fine face as he said, 'Passing! Passing!' It wasprophetic."
Other pieces, no more distinguished in poetic quality, are of specialbiographical interest. "Robert Gould Shaw" was the expression ofpessimism as to the Negro's future in America. "To Louise" was addressedto the young daughter of Dr. Tobey, who, on one occasion, when the poetwas greatly depressed, in the simple way of a child cheered him by hergift of a rose. "The Monk's Walk" reflects the poet's thought of being apreacher. Finally, there is the swan song, "Compensation," contributedto _Lippincott's_, eight exquisite lines:
Because I had loved so deeply, Because I had loved so long, God in his great compassion Gave me the gift of song.
Because I have loved so vainly, And sung with such faltering breath, The Master in infinite mercy Offers the boon of Death.
The dialect poems suffer by quotation, being artistic primarily aswholes. Of these, by common consent, the masterpiece is, "When MalindySings," a poem inspired by the singing of the poet's mother. Otherpieces in dialect that have proved unusually successful, especially asreadings, are "The Rivals," "A Coquette Conquered," "The Ol' Tunes," "ACorn-Song," "When de Co'n Pone's Hot," "How Lucy Backslid," "The Party,""At Candle-Lightin' Time," "Angelina," "Whistling Sam," "Two LittleBoots," and "The Old Front Gate." Almost all of these poems representthe true humorist's blending of humor and pathos, and all of themexemplify the delicate and sympathetic irony of which Dunbar was such amaster. As representative of the dialect verse at its best, attentionmight be called to a little poem that was included in the illustratedvolume, "Candle-Lightin' Time," but that, strangely enough, was omittedfrom both of the larger editions of the poems, very probably because thetitle, "Lullaby," was used more than once by the poet:
Kiver up yo' haid, my little lady, Hyeah de win' a-blowin' out o' do's, Don' you kick, ner projick wid de comfo't, Less'n fros'll bite yo' little toes. Shut yo' eyes, an' snuggle up to mammy; Gi' me bofe yo' han's, I hol' 'em tight; Don' you be afeard, an' 'mence to trimble Des ez soon ez I blows out de light.
Angels is a-mindin' you, my baby, Keepin' off de Bad Man in de night. Whut de use o' bein' skeered o' nuffin'? You don' fink de da'kness gwine to bite? Whut de crackin' soun' you hyeah erroun' you?-- Lawsy, chile, you tickles me to def!-- Dat's de man what brings de fros', a-paintin' Picters on de winder wid his bref.
Mammy ain' afeard, you hyeah huh laughin'? Go 'way, Mistah Fros', you can't come in; Baby ain' erceivin' folks dis evenin', Reckon dat you'll have to call ag'in. Curl yo' little toes up so, my 'possum-- Umph, but you's a cunnin' one fu' true!-- Go to sleep, de angels is a-watchin', An' yo' mammy's mindin' of you, too.
The short stories of Dunbar would have been sufficient to make hisreputation, even if he had not written his poems. One of the besttechnically is "Jimsella," from the "Folks from Dixie" volume. Thisstory exhibits the pathos of the life of unskilled Negroes in the North,and the leading of a little child. In the sureness with which it movesto its conclusion it is a beautiful work of art. "A Family Feud" showsthe influence of an old servant in a wealthy Kentucky family. In similarvein is "Aunt Tempe's Triumph." "The Walls of Jericho" is an exposure ofthe methods of a sensational preacher. Generally these stories attemptno keen satire, but only a faithful portrayal of conditions as they are,or, in most cases, as they were in ante-bellum days. Dunbar's novels aregenerally weaker than his short stories, though "The Sport of the Gods,"because of its study of a definite phase of life, rises above theothers. Nor are his occasional articles especially strong. He waseminently a lyric poet. By his graceful and beautiful verse it is thathe has won a distinct place in the history of American literature.
By his genius Paul Laurence Dunbar attracted the attention of the great,the wise, and the good. His bookcase contained many autograph copies ofthe works of distinguished contemporaries. The similarity of hisposition in American literature to that of Burns in English hasfrequently been pointed out. In our own time he most readily invitescomparison with James Whitcomb Riley. The writings of both men aredistinguished by infinite tenderness and pathos. But above all worldlyfame, above even the expression of a struggling people's heart, was thepoet's own striving for the unattainable. There was something heroicabout him withal, something that links him with Keats, or, in thislatter day, with Rupert Brooke and Alan Seeger. He yearned for love, andthe world rushed on; then he smiled at death and was universally loved.
The Negro in Literature and Art in the United States Page 4
