Tag: 19th century

“My Little Dreams by Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880 – 1966)

Post author By TDarris
Post date September 10, 2018
No Comments on “My Little Dreams by Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880 – 1966)

My Little Dreams

BY GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON

I’m folding up my little dreams
Within my heart tonight,
And praying I may soon forget
The torture of their sight.

For time’s deft fingers scroll my brow
With fell relentless art—
I’m folding up my little dreams
Tonight, within my heart.

Tags 19th century, African-American Poetry, American poetry, Black Poetry, Dreams, Georgia Douglas Johnson, harlem, Harlem Renaissance, Hope, New York, women poets

19th century American Poetry Eugene Field Literature Poetry Uncategorized United States

“Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” by Eugene Field (1850–1895)

Post author By TDarris
Post date September 2, 2018
1 Comment on “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod” by Eugene Field (1850–1895)

"Wynken, Blynken, and Nod"

BY EUGENE FIELD

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night

Sailed off in a wooden shoe–

Sailed on a river of crystal light,

Into a sea of dew.

“Where are you going, and what do you wish?”

The old moon asked of the three.

“We have come to fish for the herring fish

That live in this beautiful sea;

Nets of silver and gold have we!”

Said Wynken,

Blynken,

And Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,

As they rocked in the wooden shoe,

And the wind that sped them all night long

Ruffled the waves of dew.

The little stars were the herring fish

That lived in that beautiful sea–

“Now cast your nets wherever you wish–

Never afeard are we!”

So cried the stars to the fishermen three:

Wynken,

Blynken,

And Nod.

All night long their nets they threw

To the stars in the twinkling foam—

Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe,

Bringing the fishermen home;

‘T was all so pretty a sail it seemed

As if it could not be,

And some folks thought ‘t was a dream they ‘d dreamed

Of sailing that beautiful sea—

But I shall name you the fishermen three:

Wynken,

Blynken,

And Nod.

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,

And Nod is a little head,

And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies

Is a wee one’s trundle-bed.

So shut your eyes while mother sings

Of wonderful sights that be,

And you shall see the beautiful things

As you rock in the misty sea,

Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:

Wynken,

Blynken,

And Nod.




*Source: The Golden Book of Poetry (1947)

Tags 19th century, American Literat, American Literature, American poetry, Literature, poem, poem-a-day, poet, Poetry, USA, Writer, Wynken Blynken and Nod

19th century African-American America American American Poetry Black History Celebration Harlem Renaissance Hope James Weldon Johnson Poetry Reflect Uncategorized United States

“The Gift to Sing” by James Weldon Johnson (1871 – 1938)

Post author By TDarris
Post date June 29, 2016
No Comments on “The Gift to Sing” by James Weldon Johnson (1871 – 1938)

Sometimes the mist overhangs my path,
And blackening clouds about me cling;
But, oh, I have a magic way
To turn the gloom to cheerful day—
I softly sing.

And if the way grows darker still,
Shadowed by Sorrow’s somber wing,
With glad defiance in my throat,
I pierce the darkness with a note,
And sing, and sing.

I brood not over the broken past,
Nor dread whatever time may bring;
No nights are dark, no days are long,
While in my heart there swells a song,
And I can sing.

Tags #read, #reading, 19th century, 20th century, african, african american history, African American poet, african american slavery, African-American, African-American Literature, African-American Poetry, african-cuban, africana, America, american, american history, American Literature, american poet, American poetry, american slave, americana, anthology, art, Arts, Black, Black History, black history month, black literature, black music, Black Poet, Black Poetry, Black Poety, civil right, civil rights, countee cullen, cullen, Freedom, harlem, Harlem Renaissance, harvard, History, history & politics, hughes, hymn, iamb, jim crow, Langston Hughes, lift ev'ry voice and sing, literary, Literature, man, Memory, men, music, nature, negro, negro spiritual, negroes, negros, pentameter, poem, poet, poetic, poetics, Poetry, poetry book, poetry books, poetry community, poetry reading, poetry society, Poets, poettrisnotdead, readers, reconstruction, refelct, reflection, reflections, reflects, renaissance, Rhyme, rhymed stanza, rhythm, sing, slave, song, songs, spiritual, thought, thoughts, time, United States, west, western, Write, Writer, writers, writing

19th century American Poetry Cuba cuban Cuban Poetry Romance Romantic Era Romanticisim Spanish Uncategorized

“NIÁGARA” by José María Heredia y Heredia (1803 – 1839)

Post author By TDarris
Post date April 19, 2016
No Comments on “NIÁGARA” by José María Heredia y Heredia (1803 – 1839)

NIÁGARA

Templad mi lira, dádmela, que siento
En mi alma estremecida y agitada
Arder la inspiración. ¡Oh! ¡cuánto tiempo
En tinieblas pasó, sin que mi frente
Brillase con su luz…! Niágara undoso,

African-American America American American Poetry Claude McKay Uncategorized United States

“After the Winter” by Claude McKay (1889–1948)

Post author By TDarris
Post date April 13, 2016
No Comments on “After the Winter” by Claude McKay (1889–1948)

Some day, when trees have shed their leaves

And against the morning’s white

The shivering birds beneath the eaves

Have sheltered for the night,

We’ll turn our faces southward, love,

America American American Poetry nature United States

“Summer Holiday” by Robinson Jeffers (1887 – 1962)

Post author By TDarris
Post date April 10, 2016
No Comments on “Summer Holiday” by Robinson Jeffers (1887 – 1962)

When the sun shouts and people abound

One thinks there were the ages of stone and the age of

bronze

Tags 19th century, 20th century, America, american, american poet, American poetry, art, Arts, GoodPoem, GoodPoems, goodpoetry, Literature, nature, poem, poet, Poetry, United States

American Uncategorized

“Autumn Movement” by Carl Sandburg (1878 – 1967)

Post author By TDarris
Post date April 9, 2016
No Comments on “Autumn Movement” by Carl Sandburg (1878 – 1967)

I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.

The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman, 
       the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.

The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, new beautiful things 
       come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind, and the old things go, 
       not one lasts.

Tags 19th century, 20th century, America, american, American poetry, art, Arts, autumn, autumn movement, carl sandburg, fall, goodpoetry, Literature, movement, poem, poet, Poetry, United States

American British Poetry Edgar Alrbert Guest English poetry European Poetry United Kingdom

“He Who Serves” by Edgar Albert Guest

Post author By TDarris
Post date August 16, 2015
No Comments on “He Who Serves” by Edgar Albert Guest

He has not served who gathers gold,
Nor has he served, whose life is told
In selfish battles he has won,
Or deeds of skill that he has done;
But he has served who now and then
Has helped along his fellow men.

The world needs many men today;
Red-blooded men along life’s way,
With cheerful smiles and helping hands,
And with the faith that understands
The beauty of the simple deed
Which serves another’s hour of need.

Strong men to stand beside the weak,
Kind men to hear what others speak;
True men to keep our country’s laws
And guard its honor and its cause;
Men who will bravely play life’s game
Nor ask rewards of gold and fame.

Teach me to do the best I can
To help and cheer our fellow man;
Teach me to lose my selfish need
And glory in the larger deed
Which smoothes the road, and lights the day
For all who chance to come my way.

Tags 19th century, 20th century, America, american, american poet, American poetry, art, Arts, Britain, British, Edgar Albert Guest

African-American American Black History British Poetry Paul Laurence Dunbar

“Ships That Pass In The Night” by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Post author By TDarris
Post date August 9, 2015
No Comments on “Ships That Pass In The Night” by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Out in the sky the great dark clouds are massing;

I look far out into the pregnant night,

Where I can hear a solemn booming gun

And catch the gleaming of a random light,

That tells me that the ship I seek is passing, passing.

My tearful eyes my soul’s deep hurt are glassing;

For I would hail and check that ship of ships.

I stretch my hands imploring, cry aloud,

My voice falls dead a foot from mine own lips,

And but its ghost doth reach that vessel, passing, passing.

O Earth, O Sky, O Ocean, both surpassing,

O heart of mine, O soul that dreads the dark!

Is there no hope for me? Is there no way

That I may sight and check that speeding bark

Which out of sight and sound is passing, passing?

18th Century America American American Poetry Atlantic Mid-Atlantic

“A Clear Midnight” by Walt Whitman

Post author By TDarris
Post date August 6, 2015
No Comments on “A Clear Midnight” by Walt Whitman

This is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless,

Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson

done,

Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the

themes thou lovest best,

Night, sleep, death and the stars.

Tags 19th century, America, american, american poet, American poetry, american slavery, art, Arts

My Little Dreams

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: