African American Poetry: A Digital Anthology Main Menu Full Text Collection: Books Published by African American Poets, 1870-1929 Long list of 100+ full texts books of poetry available on this "Anthology" Author Pages: Bios and Full Text Collections List of African American poets on African American Periodical Poetry (1900-1928) A collection of African Amerian Periodical Poetry, mostly focused on 1900-1928 Areas of Interest: Topics and Themes African American Poetry: Anthologies of the 1920s Poetry by African American Women (1890-1930): A Reader and Guide Open access textbook introducing readers to Poetry by Black Women Exploring Datasets related to African American poetry About This Site: Mission Statement, Contributors, and Recent Updates An account of the history and evolution of this site by the site editor. Further Reading / Works Cited

Fenton Johnson, "The Banjo Player" (1919)

213
THE BANJO PLAYER

   There is music in me, the music of a peasant
people. I wander through the levee, picking my banjo and
singing my songs of the cabin and the field. At
the Last Chance Saloon I am as welcome as the
violets in March; there is always food and drink for
me there, and the dimes of those who love honest
music. Behind the railroad tracks the little children
clap their hands and love me as they love Kris
Kringle.
   But I fear that I am a failure. Last night a
woman called me a troubadour. What is a troubadour?

Published in Others, 1919

This page has paths:

  1. Fenton Johnson: Poems and Author Profile Amardeep Singh

This page has tags:

  1. Free Verse Amardeep Singh
  2. Music Amardeep Singh