African American Poetry (1870-1928): A Digital Anthology

W.E.B. Du Bois: Author Page

W.E.B. Du Bois probably needs no introduction. He is one of the towering figures in African American literature and activism from the first half of the twentieth century. His most influential early work might be The Souls of Black Folk (1903), though he was the author of more than twenty works of nonfiction, innumerable journalistic essays, and five works of fiction. He was the editor of The Crisis between 1910 and 1934, during which time he oversaw the publication of poetry by many important figures. 

Du Bois also published several poems in the magazine between 1911 and 1922. As with his earlier poem, "Litany of Atlanta," the poems have something of the quality of religious sermons rather than lyrical verse, but they are worth a look in their own right. 

A large quantity of Du Bois materials have been made available digitally by the Du Bois Center at the University of Massachusetts, including many unpublished poetry manuscripts and typescripts. The digital collection specifically focused on poetry can be found here. 

 

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