by Countee Cullen · 1925
Poetry · Classics
Countee Cullen's first collection of poems, written when he was in his twenties and a leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance: poems of race, beauty, faith and love in classical forms.
Content note: Written in 1925, these poems deal with racism and use language of their time.
For permission to reprint certain of these poems thanks is hereby given to the following publications:
The American Mercury The Bookman The Century The Crisis The Conning Tower: New York World Folio Harper’s Magazine Les Continents The Messenger The Nation Opportunity Palms Poetry: A Magazine of Verse The Southwestern Christian Advocate The Survey Graphic The World Tomorrow Vanity Fair
Contents
TO YOU WHO READ MY BOOK xiii
COLOR
YET DO I MARVEL 3
A SONG OF PRAISE 4
BROWN BOY TO BROWN GIRL 5
A BROWN GIRL DEAD 6
TO A BROWN GIRL 7
TO A BROWN BOY 8
BLACK MAGDALENS 9
ATLANTIC CITY WAITER 10
NEAR WHITE 11
TABLEAU 12
HARLEM WINE 13
SIMON THE CYRENIAN SPEAKS 14
INCIDENT 15
TWO WHO CROSSED A LINE (SHE CROSSES) 16
TWO WHO CROSSED A LINE (HE CROSSES) 17
SATURDAY’S CHILD 18
THE DANCE OF LOVE 19
PAGAN PRAYER 20
WISDOM COMETH WITH THE YEARS 22
TO MY FAIRER BRETHREN 23
FRUIT OF THE FLOWER 24
THE SHROUD OF COLOR 26
HERITAGE 36
EPITAPHS
FOR A POET 45
FOR MY GRANDMOTHER 46
FOR A CYNIC 47
FOR A SINGER 48
FOR A VIRGIN 49
FOR A LADY I KNOW 50
FOR A LOVELY LADY 51
FOR AN ATHEIST 52
FOR AN EVOLUTIONIST AND HIS OPPONENT 53
FOR AN ANARCHIST 54
