''Negro Poets and Their Poems'' is a 1923 poetry collection by Robert T. Kerlin. It was one of the major anthologies of African American poetry published during the

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African-American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics, and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the ti ...

and has been cited as a valuable source of information on the era.

Background

The

was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American life centered in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. A major aspect of this revival was poetry. Hundreds of poems were written and published by African Americans during the era, which covered a wide variety of themes. The

Poetry Foundation The Poetry Foundation is a United States literary society that seeks to promote poetry and lyricism in the wider culture. It was formed from ''Poetry'' magazine, which it continues to publish, with a 2003 gift of $200 million from philanthrop ...

wrote that poets in the Harlem Renaissance "explored the beauty and pain of black life and sought to define themselves and their community outside of white stereotypes." Poets such as

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. An early innovator of jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harl ...

James Weldon Johnson James Weldon Johnson (June 17, 1871June 26, 1938) was an American writer and civil rights activist. He was married to civil rights activist Grace Nail Johnson. Johnson was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ...

, and

Countee Cullen Countee Cullen (born Countee LeRoy Porter; May 30, 1903 – January 9, 1946) was an American poet, novelist, children's writer, and playwright, particularly well known during the Harlem Renaissance. Early life Childhood Countee LeRoy Porter ...

became well known for their poetry, which was often inspired by jazz. The poetry of the era was published in several different ways, notably in the form of anthologies. '' The Book of American Negro Poetry'' (1922), ''Negro Poets and Their Poems'' (1923), '' An Anthology of Verse by American Negroes'' (1924), and ''

Caroling Dusk ''Caroling Dusk: An Anthology of Verse by Black Poets of the Twenties: Anthology of Black Verse'' is a 1927 poetry anthology that was edited by Countee Cullen. It has been republished at least three times, in 1955, 1974, and 1995 and included work ...

'' (1927) have been cited as four major poetry anthologies of the Harlem Renaissance.

Publication

Robert T. Kerlin, an American educator and minister, intended for his anthology to be a "defense of black people." The work, which was first published in 1923 by

The Associated Publishers The Associated Publishers was a producer of printed materials, founded by historian Carter G Woodson in June 1921. The publishing company was founded to initially help Woodson produce his own works and helped many other scholars of black history del ...

, began its 309 pages with an essay about the works. It was dedicated to "Black and Unknown Bards" and in compiling it Kerlin sought high quality poetry but also "at least one fundamental quality of poetry, namely, passion." ''Negro Poets and Their Poems'' also includes biographical information about and some photographs of the poets whose work is included. In 1986, the scholar Vilma R. Potter noted that Kerlin's compilation had been shaped by his "moral enthusiasm".

Reception

Eric Walrond Eric Derwent Walrond (18 December 1898 – 8 August 1966) was an Afro-Caribbean Harlem Renaissance writer and journalist. Born in Georgetown, British Guiana, the son of a Barbadian mother and a Guyanese father, Walrond was well-travelled, mo ...

in ''

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' (often abbreviated as ''TNR'') is an American magazine focused on domestic politics, news, culture, and the arts from a left-wing perspective. It publishes ten print magazines a year and a daily online platform. ''The New Y ...

'' received the book generally favorably, proposing that it be used in schools by the

Commission on Interracial Cooperation The Commission on Interracial Cooperation (1918–1944) was an organization founded in Atlanta, Georgia, December 18, 1918, and officially incorporated in 1929. Will W. Alexander, pastor of a local white Methodist church, was head of the organiza ...

. A reviewer in ''

The Journal of Negro History ''The Journal of African American History'', formerly ''The Journal of Negro History'' (1916–2001), is a quarterly academic journal covering African-American life and history. It was founded in 1916 by Carter G. Woodson. The journal is owned and ...

'' described the anthology as a valuable source of information. In the ''

Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is advertised as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven and ...

'' a reviewer described the book as "an extremely interesting and really valuable book" but felt that the poetry itself was "exceedingly varied, and most uneven in quality". A contemporary reviewer in ''

The Evening Star ''The Evening Star'' is a 1996 American comedy drama film directed by Robert Harling, adapted from the 1992 novel by Larry McMurtry. It is a sequel to the Academy Award-winning 1983 film ''Terms of Endearment'' starring Shirley MacLaine, who r ...

'' felt that the book was "revealing" and felt that "the anthology includes true poetry," concluding that it was "a book for upstanding pride, without a note of apology anywhere about it."

References

{{reflist 1923 poetry books