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

Help Needed: Texts We Don't Have (2026)

213
This is a list of texts we know of -- often through Dorothy Porter -- but have not been able to access or digitize. If any readers have access to these materials and could help us get either page image scans or plain text versions for publication on this site, we would 1) be immensely grateful to you, and 2) clearly credit you for your contributions. 

Note: many of these entries derive from Dorothy Porter's Checklist, and contain her book size abbreviations. ("12mo" refers to "duocecimo" size -- approximately 5 X 7.4 inches)


Allen, Junius Mordecai. Rhymes, Tales, and Rhymed Tales.
Topeka, Kan.:
Monotyped by Crane & Co., 1906.
12mo, 153 pages
    Not in HathiTrust
    BOOK MENTIONED IN KERLIN 1923 w/2 poems
    WorldCat: Physical opies in 18 libraries NYPL, Howard U., LOC, UVA, Brown, Duke
    Physical copy in Schomburg Center

Battle, Effie T. Gleanings from Dixie-Land.
Okalona, Mississippi, 1915.
12mo. 
Wikipedia Page

Brawley, Benjamin Griffith. The Desire of the Moth for the Star.
Atlanta, Ga.: Author, 1906.
16mo, 10 pages 
PHYSICAL COPIES AT LIBRARIES
Worldcat: copies at Howard, Harvard, U-Chicago
Well-known writer and critic -- potentially high value

Brawley, Benjamin Griffith. The Dawn and other Poems.
Washington, D. C.: Author, 1911.
4to, 10 p.
    Not in HathiTrust
    Well-known writer and critic -- potentially high value

Clem, Charles D. Rhyme of a Rhymester.
Author, 1901.
8vo, 52 pages
    Might have appeared in 1902
    Published in Edmond Oklahoma by the author.
    Does not appear on Hathi or WorldCat
    Found a poem published in an Oklahoma newspaper called “Things to Remember” 
    Dorothy Porter says this is in the NYPL Schomburg Center (at least it was in 1944)
    Physical copy at Howard University / Spingarn Library

Clem, Charles D. A Little Souvenir. N. P., n. d. Author. [1908]
8vo, 8 pagest
    Physical copye at Howard University 

Corrothers, (Rev.) James David. Selected Poems. 1907.

Corrothers, (Rev.) James David. The Dream and the Song. 1914.

Dancer, W. E. To-day and Yistidy. (Poems in dialect.)
Tuskegee, Ala., 1914.

Fortson, Bettiola Heloise. Mental Pearls, original poems and essays.
Chicago, Ill., 1915.
12mo, 62 p. Port.  

Henderson, Elliott Blaine, Plantation Echoes, 1904
This is Available in Page Scan form on HathiTrust

Henderson, Elliott Blaine, Darky Meditations, 1910

Leo's (Egbert Martin). Social Lyrics.
Illustrated by Charles
Stephens. Demerara: Printed by Baldwin & Co., Georgetown, 1886.
12mo, 76 p.
    [correct title: Leo’s Local Lyrics 1886] 
    At Howard University
    Not on HathiTrust
    Important Guyanese writer (Tag: Caribbean, Afro-Caribbean)


Leo's (Egbert Martin). Leo's Poetical Works.
London: Printed for the Author, 1883, by W. H. and L. Collingridge.
12mo, 224 p. NOT ON HATHI
    At Howard University
    Not on HathiTrust
    Important Guyanese writer (Tag: Caribbean, Afro-Caribbean)

Lynch, Charles. Gladys Klyne and more Harmony.
Boston: The Gotham Press, 1915.
12mo, 73 p.

Margetson, George Reginald. Ethiopia's Flight. The Negro question; or, the White Man's Fear.
Cambridge, Mass.: Author, 1907.
8vo, 22 p.
    On HATHITRUST
    Well-known author. Potentially high-value
 
McClellan, George Marion. The Path of Dreams.
Louisville, Ky.:
John P. Morton & Co., 1916.
8vo, 76 p.

McGirt, James E. For your sweet sake poems.
Philadelphia: The John C. Winston Co., 1906.
12mo, 80 p. port.

McGirt, James E. The Triumphs of Ephraham.

Menard, J. W. Little Footsteps. In_Memory of My Mother. (In Repository of Religion and Literature,)
Baltimore, Md., Jan., 1863.

Means, Sterling M. The Deserted Cabin and other Poems.
Atlanta:

Paisley, J. W. Voice of Mizraim.
New York: Neale Publ. Co.,
1907.
12mo, 122 p.

Payne (Rt. Rev.) Daniel Alexander. Pleasures and other Miscellaneous Poems.
Baltimore, Md.: Sherwood and Company, 1850.
12mo.

Plato, Ann. Essays including Biographical and Miscellaneous pieces in Prose and Poetry. With introduction by Rev. James W. C. Pennington.
Hartford: Printed for the Author, 1841.
16mo, 122 p.

Plumer, Mary. Poems, 1915.

Reason, Charles L. Hope and Confidence. (In Autographs for Freedom.)
New York, 1853.

Reason, Charles L. Freedom. _(In Alex. Crummell's Eulogium on Thomas Clarkson.)
New York: Printed by Egbert, Hovey & King,
1847.
8vo, 44 p.

Shackelford, W. H. Pearls in prose and poetry.
Nashville, Tenn.:
National Baptist Publ. Board, 1907.
8vo, 82 p. Portrait.

Shackelford, Otis M. Seeking the best dedicated to the Negro youth.
Kansas City, Mo.: Franklin Hudson Publ. Co., 1909.
8vo, 177 p.

Shackelford, W. H. Poems.
Nashville, Tenn.: A. M. E. S. S. U.
Press, 1915.

Shackelford, Theo. H. Mammy's Cracklin' Bread and other poems.
Phila., Pa., 1916.
8vo, 58 p. Port.

Shoeman, Charles Henry. A Dream and other Poems.
Ann Arbor:
George Wahr, 1899.
16mo, 146 p.

Shoeman, Charles Henry. A Dream and other Poems.
Ann Arbor,
Mich.: George Wahr, 1899-1900.
16mo, 202 p. 2nd edition.

Sterne, Armorel. My Mother.
N. d., n. p. Author.
32mo, 8vo.
 
Simpson, Dr. J. McC. The Emancipated Car being an original com-
position of Anti-Slavery Ballads composed exclusively for the under-
ground railroad.
Zanesville, Ohio: Sullivan & Brown, printers, 1874.
32mo, 152 p.

Tanner, B. T. (Bishop). Poem on the Death of O. V. Catto.
Phila.,
1871.
4 p.

Temple, George Hannibal. The Epic of Columbus Bell and other poems.
Reading, Pa.: Press of the Reading Eagle, 1900.
12mo, 80 p. Portrait.

Thorne, Jack (D. B. Fulton). Abraham Lincoln.
Brooklyn: Author.
8vo, 8 p. port.

Todd, Walter E. Fireside Musings. 2nd Edition.
D. C.: Murray Bros., 1909.
16mo, 52 p. Portr.

Toomey, Richard E. S. Thoughts for True Americans.
Washington, D. C.: Neale Publ. Co., 1901.

Turner (Rev.) H. M. The Conflict for Civil Rights, a Poem.
Washington, D. C.: Author, 1881.
8vo, 14 p.

Van dyne, William Johnson. Book of Poems. Revels of Fancy.
Vashon, George B. Vincent Ogé. In Autographs from Freedom.
Auburn, New York, 1854.
8vo, pp. 44-60.
(Haitien.) Paris: Fishbacher

Watkins, James L. Lines to a friend. (In Repository of Religion and Literature.
Vol II., No. 3. Indianapolis, July, 1859.)
139 p.

Wheeler, B. F. (D. D.). Cullings from Zion's Poets.
(Miscellaneous collection of poems from Zion's Magazine.) Author, 1907.
.8v0, 384 p. N.d., n.p.
    Note: it's not entirely clear which magazine this is. There were a number of theological magazines in the late 19th and early 20th century with similar names [Zion's Heralt, A Voice from Zion, etc.], but none of them appear to have been edited by African American editors.

Whitman, Alberry A. The Rape of Florida. Epic poem. Dedicatory address by Rt. Rev. H. M. Turner, D.D.
St. Louis: Nixon-Jones
Printing Co., 1884.
8vo, 95 p. portr.
    Note: We have other books by this poet in the collection. 

Williams, Edward W. The Views and Meditations of John Brown.
Washington, 1893.
8vo, 16 p.

Wilson, W. J. On Phillis Wheatley. The Slave Mother.
(A. M.E. C. Review ; also Anglo-African Magazine, New York, 1859).