A Criticism of Paul Lawrence Dunbar and His Works

Author

• Ethel M. Baptiste, Xavier University of Louisiana

Date of Award

6-1930

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Keywords

aul Laurence Dunbar, Dialect Poetry, African American Poetry, Lyric Poetry, Dramatic Monologue, Plantation Life, American Poetics, Literary Criticism, Negro Dialect, Nineteenth Century Poetry

Abstract

This thesis, presented at Xavier University in June 1930 in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts, offers a critical study of the life and poetic works of Paul Laurence Dunbar. The thesis opens with a biographical account of Dunbar's impoverished childhood in Dayton, Ohio, his early literary talent, his work as an elevator operator while writing verse, and the publication of his first volume, "Oak and Ivy," in 1893, before turning to a close examination of his poetic output.

The thesis organizes its analysis by literary form, examining Dunbar's lyrics, sonnets, odes, dirges, ballads, and dramatic monologues, and argues that his dramatic monologues, particularly "The Party," represent his strongest achievement due to his skill in vivid characterization and swift narrative action. Attention is given to his use of meter, rhyme, and figures of speech, as well as recurring themes including humor, courtship, racial pride, and religious doubt. The thesis contrasts Dunbar's poems written in literary English with those written in Negro dialect, arguing that while his English verse shows occasional uncertainty, his dialect poetry represents an original and unmatched achievement in capturing the emotional and spiritual life of the American Negro, particularly given that Dunbar himself had little direct experience of the South. The thesis also traces inconsistencies in Dunbar's religious and philosophical views, noting his oscillation between fatalism and a belief in free will, and concludes that despite his early death at thirty-four, Dunbar's poetic legacy endures as a classic and faithful portrayal of plantation life.

Note: No original abstract was included; this abstract is provided by the XULA Digital Commons editors.

Recommended Citation

Baptiste, Ethel M., "A Criticism of Paul Lawrence Dunbar and His Works" (1930). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 196.
https://digitalcommons.xula.edu/etd/196