african american poets

A gifted poet, Countee Cullen wrote some of the outstanding works of the 1920s.

Looks at the life of Phillis Wheatley, a girl brought from Senengal to Boston as a slave in 1761 who played a role in the events of the American Revolution, and grew up to become a renowned poet.

Presents the life and career of Kwame Alexander, Nobel-prize winning author and poet, who hated to read when he was growing up.

Presents a two-volume biography of African-American author Langston Hughes based primarily on the Langston Hughes Papers at the Beinecke Library of Yale University, tracing his life from his birth in Missouri in 1902,his successes and failures, to his death in 1967.

Relates the story of North Carolina slave George Moses Horton, who taught himself to read, learned to write, and became a well-known, published poet in spite of his slave status.

Introduce your readers to a stellar talent. There is no question that Langston Hughes was one of the brightest lights of the Harlem Renaissance. A true pioneer, Hughes was one of the first poets to draw on the syncopated rhythms of jazz and black urban dialect for his work, and it proved transformative for American poetry. With a looser lyrical style reminiscent of Walt Whitman, Hughes used his art to portraying the experiences, concerns, and consolations of black men and women. As a poet, playwright, and novelist, he was impressively prolific, leaving behind a body of work truly worthy of study and celebration.

Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) is known for her poems about real life.? She wrote about love, loneliness, family, and poverty, showing readers how just about anything could become a beautiful poem. Exquisite follows Gwendolyn from early girlhood into her adult life, showcasing her desire to write poetry from a very young age. This picture-book biography explores the intersections of race, gender, and the ubiquitous poverty of the Great Depression - all with a lyrical touch worthy of the subject. Gwendolyn Brooks was the first Black person to win the Pulitzer Prize, receiving the award for poetry in 1950. And in 1958, she was named the poet laureate of Illinois. A bold artist who from a very young age dared to dream, Brooks will inspire young readers to create poetry from their own lives.

A biography of an African girl brought to New England as a slave in 1761 who became famous on both sides of the Atlantic as the first Black poet in America.

Presents season six of HBO's "Def Poetry" hosted by Mos Def, featuring performances of original material by established, as well as up-and-coming spoken word poets, musicians, and comedians.

Offers an overview of significant developments and contributions in African-American poetry, from the eighteenth century, through the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movements of the 1960s, to the present day.