Philosophic Trend Of American Negro Poetry

Author

• George Stevens, Xavier University of Louisiana

Date of Award

1939

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Keywords

African American Poetry, Naturalism, Idealism, Literary Renaissance, Harlem Renaissance, Religious Poetry, Dialect Poetry, American Literary History, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Langston Hughes

Abstract

This thesis, submitted to Xavier University in partial fulfillment of requirements for a Master of Arts degree in 1939, traces the philosophic trend in American Negro poetry from 1761 to the contemporary period, examining the shift from an idealistic, religiously grounded poetic sensibility toward a naturalistic worldview. Drawing on primary poetry collections, anthologies, and critical studies of Black American literature, the thesis divides its analysis into three literary-historical periods: the Early Period (1761-1865), the Pre-Renaissance Period (1866-1899), and the Renaissance Period (1900 to the time of writing).

The thesis argues that poetry of the Early Period, beginning with Jupiter Hammon, reflects a deep idealism rooted in Christian religious instruction received under slavery, expressing themes of divine providence, faith, and hope for spiritual and physical freedom, as seen in the work of Hammon, James M. Whitfield, Phyllis Wheatley, George Moses Horton, and Charles L. Reason. It then examines the Pre-Renaissance Period, centered on the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar, arguing that his work marks a turning point between the religious idealism of earlier poets and a growing naturalism tied to the era's emphasis on material and economic advancement following emancipation. The thesis concludes with an analysis of the Renaissance Period, arguing that poets including Claude McKay, James Weldon Johnson, Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, William Stanley Braithwaite, and Sterling Brown reflect this naturalistic trend to varying degrees, shaped by the community's changed social and economic circumstances.

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

Recommended Citation

Stevens, George, "Philosophic Trend Of American Negro Poetry" (1939). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 66.
https://digitalcommons.xula.edu/etd/66