LUIGI J. COMPUESTO AFAS 160 DR. BRYAN CARTER SEPT 30, 2013 Paul Laurence Dunbar

Early Life Paul Laurence Dunbar was born on June 27, 1872 in Dayton, Ohio. Parents were Matilda and Joshua Dunbar, who were ex-slaves. Joshua Dunbar left the family soon after Paul Laurence Dunbar was born, so Matilda Dunbar had to take care of the family. Joshua Dunbar died when Paul Laurence Dunbar was only 12 years old. Paul Laurence Dunbar started reciting and writing poem at an early age of 6, mainly because of his mother’s love for poetry.

Adolescent Years Paul Laurence Dunbar attended Dayton High School, and was the only African American student in the school. He was also elected as the president of his class, and delivered the class’s graduation poem in June In addition, he was also a member of the debating society, editor of the school paper, and president of the school’s literary society.

Professional Years Paul Laurence Dunbar was unable to work for Dayton Newspaper and legal offices, because of his race. Instead, he had to work as an elevator operator at Dayton’s Callahan Building, where he worked until he established himself as a writer. While working as an elevator operator, he wrote poems and articles for various Midwestern newspapers. With help from the Wright Brothers, he was able to publish Dayton Tattler, an African-American newsletter. In 1892, Dunbar did his first public reading, he also befriended James Newton Matthews, who praised Dunbar’s works.

Professional Years (cont.) In 1893, Dunbar published his first book, Oak and Ivy. In that same year, he was also invited to recite at the World’s Fair, where he met fellow African-American writer Frederick Douglass. In 1895, Dunbar moved to Toledo, Ohio. Charles A. Thatcher and Henry A. Tobey both facilitated Dunbar’s move, due to the fact that they admired Dunbar’s literary works. They also wanted Dunbar to recite his poems at local libraries, and literary gatherings. In addition, they also help Dunbar publish Majors and Minors, his second book. It was Majors and Minors, that gave Dunbar literary recognition. William Dean Howells, a well respected critic, praised Dunbar’s book. As a result, Dunbar’s work was introduced into the most respected literary circles across the country. Dodd Mead and Co., a publishing company, merged Oak and Ivy and Majors and Minors, into a single book called Lyrics of a Lowly Life and published it. In 1897, Dunbar travelled to England to present his works to the London literary circuit. By doing that, his fame spread.

Later years… Dunbar married Alice Ruth Moore, a Cornell Graduate, also a writer and a major proponent for equality. After his marriage, Dunbar worked for the Library of Congress. However, he thought the job was tedious. He stopped working after a year in order to recite and write full time. In 1902, Dunbar and Alice Ruth Moore separated but it was not a divorce; this incident caused major depression which caused him to depend on alcohol. However, he still continued to write. He managed to produced 12 books of poetry, 4 books consisting of short stories, 5 novels, and a play. He returned to his mother in Dayton in the year 1904, where he died on Feb. 9, 1906.

Ode to Ethiopia Paul Laurence Dunbar wrote his poem, Ode to Ethiopia, in the year In his poem, he describes Ethiopia as being the mother of all African Americans and that it is a country that is able to show their pride as a human being. The poem mainly speaks about the accomplishments that black Americans have done. Dunbar also encourages his fellow black Americans to maintain their dignity and pride through the racial abuse that they encounter everyday of their lives.

Ode to Ethiopia (cont’d) I have chosen to analyze Dunbar’s poem, Ode to Ethiopia, because of the strong message he portrays within his poem. Though African Americans struggled through the issues of racism, Dunbar articulated this poem in a way that gave courage to this fellow black Americans. Within the poem, Dunbar expresses his encouragement to the other African Americans by stating that they should be proud of themselves and of their race even though others may show otherwise towards them. This poem stood out the most out of the many great poems written by Paul Laurence Dunbar because of the praise and reassurance the poem consists of. This poem was part of Lyrics of a Lowly Life.

Worn Out I chose this poem because of the strong emotional feeling that is portrayed in this poem. In addition, the title was befitting the content of the poem and the poem was really fun to analyze. By analyzing this poem stanza by stanza, I’ve come to the conclusion that Dunbar tried to portray the feeling of depression and the yearning for freedom. In each stanza I read, Dunbar repeatedly introduces the feeling of depression and hopelessness. Which was entirely different from Ode to Ethiopia where it seemed like Dunbar had a really positive and encouraging voice.

Worn Out (cont’d) The yearning for freedom was introduced on the very last line of the poem. Though there is no knowledge of when Dunbar wrote this poem, I believe this was written after the separation between him and Alice Ruth Moore.

References: ar ar Gates, Henry Louis, and Nellie Y. McKay. "Paul Laurence Dunbar." The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton &, Print. laurence-dunbar laurence-dunbar Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Timeline: 