The Vintage Book Of African American Poetry

In The Vintage Book of African American Poetry, editors Michael S. Harper and Anthony Walton present the definitive collection of black verse in the United States--200 years of vision, struggle, power, beauty, and triumph from 52 outstanding poets. From the neoclassical stylings of slave-born Phillis Wheatley to the wistful lyricism of Paul Lawrence Dunbar . . . the rigorous wisdom of Gwendolyn Brooks...the chiseled modernism of Robert Hayden...the extraordinary prosody of Sterling A. Brown...the breathtaking, expansive narratives of Rita Dove...the plaintive rhapsodies of an imprisoned Elderidge Knight . . . The postmodern artistry of Yusef Komunyaka. Here, too, is a landmark exploration of lesser-known artists whose efforts birthed the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts movements--and changed forever our national literature and the course of America itself. Meticulously researched, thoughtfully structured, The Vintage Book of African-American Poetry is a collection of inestimable value to students, educators, and all those interested in the ever-evolving tradition that is American poetry.

'Poetry, always foremost of the arts in traditional Africa, has continued to compete for primacy against the newer forms of prose fiction and theatre drama.' This wonderfully comprehensive anthology of African poetry has been expanded to include ninety-nine poets from twenty-seven countries, thirty-one of whom appear for the first time. Equally wide-ranging is the content of the poetry itself: war songs and political protests jostle with poems about human love, African nature and the surprises that life offers; all are represented in these rich and colourful pages.

For centuries women have been marginalized and overlooked in American literary history. That injustice is corrected in this entertaining and provocative collection of 350 years of poetry and fiction by American women. From Puritan poet Anne Bradstreet to Margaret Fuller to Harriet Beecher Stowe, readers will encounter scores of lesser-known and forgotten writers who fully deserve to be rediscovered and enjoyed by new generations. Our famous women writers, including contemporary stars like Annie Proux and Jhumpa Lahiri, are showcased in their full literary context, offering an epic overview of the canon in one monumental, dazzling volume. This landmark anthology features the best work of our best American women, and was inspired and informed by the author's groundbreaking history celebrating women writers, A Jury of Her Peers.

Here, for the first time, is a complete collection of Langston Hughes's poetry - 860 poems that sound the heartbeat of black life in America during five turbulent decades, from the 1920s through the 1960s.

A collection of postwar African-American poetry showcases the works of such poets as Derek Walcott, Amiri Baraka, Ishmael Reed, Gwendolyn Brooks, Audre Lorde, and others.

Offers a critical history of African American poetry from the transatlantic slave trade to present day hip-hop.

Do your readers know who the first published African-American poet is? Phillis Wheatley, a slave, published her most famous book of poetry in 1773, while traveling in England. Readers will learn about her life, and the lives of seven other amazing poets. Each short biography ends with a brief timeline of the person's life and achievements.

It's Hard to Be a Black Man in America and Other African American Poems By: Elroy Alister Esdaille This book examines the African-American experience from multiple perspectives and cannot be nailed down to any singular thematic presentation. By peering through the pages of time to current day, the book attempts to disclose the African-American experience in The United States, and it can be applied to other countries as well that once had former colonial designs and slave labor. Modern day America, for many Black people, can be said to be a sum total of its messy history of slavery and segregation, and the recalcitrant roots that still persist today. Life for many black men and women in America is extremely challenging for we have to negotiate systemic, and institutionalize racism on a daily basis, while simultaneously wrestling with issues of colorism and microaggressions that continue to pervade society. It’s difficult to understand the perspective of a black man or black woman in America without getting at least a glimpse into his or her insight about race relations and its impact on him or her. Many African Americans feel that the system is designed against them, but their racial concerns often fall on deaf ears. This book gives in-depth examinations about race in America and it asks questions about accountability through the stylist forms of the poems. As a Caribbean immigrant who migrated to The United States, Elroy Alister Esdaille’s experiences as a black man with race relations has at times been painful as he has experienced firsthand the ugliness of racism and how the system so often makes it extremely hard for many black men to strive and live with dignity and pride. He has watched how the stereotype of criminality has informed decisions made against black men like him, and how one must develop a will stronger than iron in order to survive. As he envisions his readers, it is his desire to speak to all truth seekers and world changers. Race is a messy topic that many people avoid, but it is his aim to confront the issues head-on and lay the foundation for honest and controversial conversations that could inspire meaningful change in society. He would not say he is attempting to enlighten anyone, but rather for people to find their true selves and push hard for the future that they want and deserve.