Priscilla Jane Thompson (1871-1942): Author Page
Priscilla Jane Thompson (1871-1942) was a widely anthologized poet born in Rossmoyne, Ohio where she lived her entire life. Born into a literary family of six children, with siblings Aaron Belford and Clara Ann also being poets, Thompson found a supportive environment for her creative pursuits. She and her siblings often self-published their work using a printing press owned by their brother, Aaron Belford.
Thompson’s poetry, first collected in Ethiope Lays (1900) and later in Gleanings of Quiet Hours (1907), delves into themes of Christian faith, racial pride, morality, the African American experience, and love, often sapphic (see “An Unromantic Awakening”). Thompson utilizes African American Vernacular English (AAVE) in much of her work and was received favorably by her contemporary readers.
Other notable poems by Thompson include "To a Little Colored Boy," a poem meditating on the inevitable encounter with racism a child will experience in American life, and "Freedom at McNealy's," an account of emancipation that takes a surprising and disappointing twist.
Works Cited
Black Women of the Harlem Renaissance Era. United States, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2014.