Abstract

The primary aim of this research paper is to overview the history and background of the author and poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar. Paul Laurence Dunbar brought views of plantation life, slavery, and racial inequality to a white reading public and became an influential voice in the struggle of black citizens to obtain their rightful place in American society. Dunbar also established black dialect as a reputable and legitimate literary vehicle, even though many black readers in his day, including his own wife, considered it demeaning and much preferred the work he produced in Standard English. Dunbar strived to address real concerns affecting the lives of black people throughout his relatively short career. In his poetry, short stories, novels, and song lyrics, he was often caught between becoming an artistic or a popular success, yet Dunbar rarely compromised his sincerity in treating his subject matter or his craft. This fact has earned for him an enduring place in American literature.

Table of Contents

Introduction3

About Paul Laurence Dunbar3

Life's Work5

Achievements8

Poetry Analysis8

Short Story Analysis10

Novel Analysis11

Conclusion11

Works Cited13

Appendix14

Paul Laurence Dunbar

Introduction

Though Paul Laurence Dunbar is best known for his poetry, he was a fiction writer as well. His achievements in fiction include four volumes of short stories and four novels. Criticism of Dunbar's short fiction suggests that the stories contained in Folks from Dixie (1898) represent his best accomplishment in this literary form. His novels The Uncalled (1898) and The Sport of the Gods (1902) acquired more critical acclaim than his other two novels, The Love of Landry (1900) and The Fanatics (1901) (Alexander, Pp 12-28).

In addition to his work in these more traditional literary forms, Dunbar wrote an assortment of lyrics and libretti for a variety of theatrical productions. He also wrote essays for newspapers and attempted to establish a periodical of his own (Hudson, Pp 22-34).

In this research paper, we will discuss the history and background of Paul Laurence Dunbar, his early life, his life's work, and analysis of his poetry and stories.

About Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar was the first black writer in the post-Civil War United States to gain national prominence and acceptance by both the black and the white communities. Born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1872, Dunbar learned of slavery from his parents, both of whom had served different slave masters in Kentucky. Growing up in Dayton, young Dunbar usually was one of a small group of black students who attended predominantly white schools. In fact, when he entered Central High School in Dayton in 1886, he was the only black student in his class (Hudson, Pp 22-34).

Involved in literary, debate, and journalistic activities at high school, Dunbar excelled and suffered no apparent racial prejudice (Gentry, Pp 16-24).

Dunbar begun writing poetry and anecdotes as early as age sixteen, and he never dismissed his literary aspirations. Dunbar continued writing poetry and, in the tradition of Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and Ben Franklin, had his writings published in various newspapers (Gentry, Pp 16-24).

Besides writing poetry, he began to give readings to white and ...