[ { "title": "My Little March Girl", "author": "Paul Laurence Dunbar", "lines": [ "Come to the pane, draw the curtain apart,", "There she is passing, the girl of my heart;", "See where she walks like a queen in the street,", "Weather-defying, calm, placid and sweet.", "Tripping along with impetuous grace,", "Joy of her life beaming out of her face,", "Tresses all truant-like, curl upon curl,", "Wind-blown and rosy, my little March girl.", "", "Hint of the violet's delicate bloom,", "Hint of the rose's pervading perfume!", "How can the wind help from kissing her face,—", "Wrapping her round in his stormy embrace?", "But still serenely she laughs at his rout,", "She is the victor who wins in the bout.", "So may life's passions about her soul swirl,", "Leaving it placid,—my little March girl.", "", "What self-possession looks out of her eyes!", "What are the wild winds, and what are the skies,", "Frowning and glooming when, brimming with life,", "Cometh the little maid ripe for the strife?", "Ah! Wind, and bah! Wind, what might have you now?", "What can you do with that innocent brow?", "Blow, Wind, and grow, Wind, and eddy and swirl,", "But bring to me, Wind,—my little March girl." ], "linecount": "24" }, { "title": "Encouraged", "author": "Paul Laurence Dunbar", "lines": [ "Because you love me I have much achieved,", "Had you despised me then I must have failed,", "But since I knew you trusted and believed,", "I could not disappoint you and so prevailed." ], "linecount": "4" }, { "title": "Sympathy", "author": "Paul Laurence Dunbar", "lines": [ "I know what the caged bird feels, alas!", "When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;", "When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,", "And the river flows like a stream of glass;", "When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,", "And the faint perfume from its chalice steals--", "I know what the caged bird feels!", "", "I know why the caged bird beats his wing", "Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;", "For he must fly back to his perch and cling", "When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;", "And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars", "And they pulse again with a keener sting--", "I know why he beats his wing!", "", "I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,", "When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,--", "When he beats his bars and he would be free;", "It is not a carol of joy or glee,", "But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,", "But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings--", "I know why the caged bird sings!" ], "linecount": "21" }, { "title": "Encouragement", "author": "Paul Laurence Dunbar", "lines": [ "WHO dat knockin' at de do'?", "Why, Ike Johnson, -- yes, fu' sho!", "Come in, Ike. I's mighty glad", "You come down. I t'ought you's", "mad", "At me 'bout de othah night,", "An' was stayin' 'way fu' spite.", "Say, now, was you mad fu' true", "W'en I kin' o' laughed at you?", "Speak up, Ike, an' 'spress yo'se'f.", "", "'T ain't no use a-lookin' sad,", "An' a-mekin' out you's mad;", "Ef you's gwine to be so glum,", "Wondah why you evah come.", "I don't lak nobody 'roun'", "Dat jes' shet dey mouf an' frown,--", "Oh, now, man, don't act a dunce!", "Cain't you talk? I tol' you once,", "Speak up, Ike, an' 'spress yo'se'f.", "", "Wha'd you come hyeah fu' to-night?", "Body'd t'ink yo' haid ain't right.", "I's done all dat I kin do,--", "Dressed perticler, jes' fu' you;", "Reckon I'd 'a' bettah wo'", "My ol' ragged calico.", "Aftah all de pains I's took,", "Cain't you tell me how I look?", "Speak up, Ike, an' 'spress yo'se'f.", "", "Bless my soul! I 'mos' fu'got", "Tellin' you 'bout Tildy Scott.", "Don't you know, come Thu'sday", "night,", "She gwine ma'y Lucius White?", "Miss Lize say I allus wuh", "Heap sight laklier 'n huh;", "An' she'll git me somep'n new,", "Ef I wants to ma'y too.", "Speak up, Ike, an' 'spress yo'se'f.", "", "I could ma'y in a week,", "Ef de man I wants 'ud speak.", "Tildy's presents'll be fine,", "But dey would n't ekal mine.", "Him whut gits me fu' a wife", "'Ll be proud, you bet yo' life.", "I's had offers; some ain't quit;", "But I has n't ma'ied yit!", "Speak up, Ike, an' 'spress yo'se'f.", "", "Ike, I loves you,--yes, I does;", "You's my choice, and allus was.", "Laffin' at you ain't no harm.--", "Go 'way, dahky, whaih's yo' arm?", "Hug me closer--dah, dat's right!", "Was n't you a awful sight,", "Havin' me to baig you so?", "Now ax whut you want to know,--", "Speak up, Ike, an' 'spress yo'se'f!" ], "linecount": "56" }, { "title": "Little Brown Baby", "author": "Paul Laurence Dunbar", "lines": [ "Little brown baby wif spa'klin' eyes,", "Come to yo' pappy an' set on his knee.", "What you been doin', suh -- makin' san' pies?", "Look at dat bib -- you's es du'ty ez me.", "Look at dat mouf -- dat's merlasses, I bet;", "Come hyeah, Maria, an' wipe off his han's.", "Bees gwine to ketch you an' eat you up yit,", "Bein' so sticky an sweet -- goodness lan's!", "Little brown baby wif spa'klin' eyes,", "Who's pappy's darlin' an' who's pappy's chile?", "Who is it all de day nevah once tries", "Fu' to be cross, er once loses dat smile?", "Whah did you git dem teef? My, you's a scamp!", "Whah did dat dimple come f'om in yo' chin?", "Pappy do' know you -- I b'lieves you's a tramp;", "Mammy, dis hyeah's some ol' straggler got in!", "", "Let's th'ow him outen de do' in de san',", "We do' want stragglers a-layin' 'roun' hyeah;", "Let's gin him 'way to de big buggah-man;", "I know he's hidin' erroun' hyeah right neah.", "Buggah-man, buggah-man, come in de do',", "Hyeah's a bad boy you kin have fu' to eat.", "Mammy an' pappy do' want him no mo',", "Swaller him down f'om his haid to his feet!", "", "Dah, now, I t'ought dat you'd hug me up close.", "Go back, ol' buggah, you sha'n't have dis boy.", "He ain't no tramp, ner no straggler, of co'se;", "He's pappy's pa'dner an' play-mate an' joy.", "Come to you' pallet now -- go to yo' res';", "Wisht you could allus know ease an' cleah skies;", "Wisht you could stay jes' a chile on my breas'--", "Little brown baby wif spa'klin' eyes!" ], "linecount": "32" }, { "title": "Summer in the South", "author": "Paul Laurence Dunbar", "lines": [ "The Oriole sings in the greening grove", "As if he were half-way waiting,", "The rosebuds peep from their hoods of green,", "Timid, and hesitating.", "The rain comes down in a torrent sweep", "And the nights smell warm and pinety,", "The garden thrives, but the tender shoots", "Are yellow-green and tiny.", "Then a flash of sun on a waiting hill,", "Streams laugh that erst were quiet,", "The sky smiles down with a dazzling blue", "And the woods run mad with riot." ], "linecount": "12" }, { "title": "Merry Autumn", "author": "Paul Laurence Dunbar", "lines": [ "It's all a farce,—these tales they tell", " About the breezes sighing,", "And moans astir o'er field and dell,", " Because the year is dying.", "", "Such principles are most absurd,—", " I care not who first taught 'em;", "There's nothing known to beast or bird", " To make a solemn autumn.", "", "In solemn times, when grief holds sway", " With countenance distressing,", "You'll note the more of black and gray", " Will then be used in dressing.", "", "Now purple tints are all around;", " The sky is blue and mellow;", "And e'en the grasses turn the ground", " From modest green to yellow.", "", "The seed burs all with laughter crack", " On featherweed and jimson;", "And leaves that should be dressed in black", " Are all decked out in crimson.", "", "A butterfly goes winging by;", " A singing bird comes after;", "And Nature, all from earth to sky,", " Is bubbling o'er with laughter.", "", "The ripples wimple on the rills,", " Like sparkling little lasses;", "The sunlight runs along the hills,", " And laughs among the grasses.", "", "The earth is just so full of fun", " It really can't contain it;", "And streams of mirth so freely run", " The heavens seem to rain it.", "", "Don't talk to me of solemn days", " In autumn's time of splendor,", "Because the sun shows fewer rays,", " And these grow slant and slender.", "", "Why, it's the climax of the year,—", " The highest time of living!—", "Till naturally its bursting cheer", " Just melts into thanksgiving." ], "linecount": "40" }, { "title": "Common Things", "author": "Paul Laurence Dunbar", "lines": [ "I like to hear of wealth and gold,", "And El Doradoes in their glory;", "I like for silks and satins bold", "To sweep and rustle through a story.", "", "The nightingale is sweet of song;", "The rare exotic smells divinely;", "And knightly men who stride along,", "The role heroic carry finely.", "", "But then, upon the other hand,", "Our minds have got a way of running", "To things that aren't quite so grand,", "Which, maybe, we are best in shunning.", "", "For some of us still like to see", "The poor man in his dwelling narrow,", "The hollyhock, the bumblebee,", "The meadow lark, and chirping sparrow.", "", "We like the man who soars and sings", "With high and lofty inspiration;", "But he who sings of common things", "Shall always share our admiration." ], "linecount": "20" }, { "title": "Life's Tragedy", "author": "Paul Laurence Dunbar", "lines": [ "It may be misery not to sing at all,", "And to go silent through the brimming day;", "It may be misery never to be loved,", "But deeper griefs than these beset the way.", "", "To sing the perfect song,", "And by a half-tone lost the key,", "There the potent sorrow, there the grief,", "The pale, sad staring of Life's Tragedy.", "", "To have come near to the perfect love,", "Not the hot passion of untempered youth,", "But that which lies aside its vanity,", "And gives, for thy trusting worship, truth.", "", "This, this indeed is to be accursed,", "For if we mortals love, or if we sing,", "We count our joys not by what we have,", "But by what kept us from that perfect thing." ], "linecount": "16" } ]