KRLemmons African American Biography, African American Poetry, Lesson Plans, Resources

April 11 Poet of the Day: Robert Hayden

Robert Hayden is April 11 Poet of the Day.  He is best known for the poems, “Those Winter Sundays” and “Middle Passage.”  Read about this Detroit born, prolific poet    here:

Additional resources on Robert Hayden:

Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/196

NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=208946759

C-SPAN: http://www.c-span.org/video/?315905-1/life-robert-hayden

Teacher Resources and Lesson Plans:

PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/foolingwithwords/lesson2.html

Edsitement: http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/analyzing-poetic-devices-robert-haydens-those-winter-sundays-and-theodore-roethkes-my-pa

Shmoop: http://www.shmoop.com/those-winter-sundays/ (may need to register to access all the resources)

KRLemmons African American Poetry

April 9 Poet of the Day: Sterling A. Brown

April 9 Poet of the Day is Sterling A. Brown.  He is “best known for his writing rooted in folklore and authentic black dialect.” For more information about this fascinating poet, educator, and editor, click here:

Additional resources on Sterling A(llen) Brown:

Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/203

Poem Riverbank Blues on Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15489

Poem Southern Road on Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15490

Black Past: http://www.blackpast.org/aah/brown-sterling-1901-1989

KRLemmons African American Poetry, Resources

April 8 Poet of the Day: Angelina Grimke Weld

April 8 Poet of the Day is Angelina Grimke Weld, was one of 14 children.  She was an abolitionist,  lecturer and advocate for women’s rights.  Read more about this pioneer woman here:

More information about Angeline Grimke Weld:

Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/23837?utm_source=PAD%3A+El+Beso+by+Angelina+Weld+Grimk%C3%A9&utm_campaign=poemaday_011114&utm_medium=email

National Women’s Hall of Fame: http://www.greatwomen.org/women-of-the-hall/search-the-hall/details/2/68-weld

The Black Past: http://www.blackpast.org/aah/grimke-angelina-weld-1880-1958

Speech at Pennsylvania Hall, PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2939t.html

KRLemmons African American Biography, African American Poetry, Resources

April 7 Poet of the Day: Claude McKay

April 7 Poet of the Day is also a novelist, Claude McKay.  He was best known for his poem “If We Must Die.”  For more information about this poet, click here:

Additional resources on Claude McKay

Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/25

The Poetry Foundation: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/claude-mckay

History Matters, “If We Must Die”: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5130/

Teacher Resource from Shmoop: http://www.shmoop.com/if-we-must-die/ (may need to register to access entire resource)

Teacher Resource from Annenberg Learner: http://www.learner.org/amerpass/unit10/authors-5.html

The Black Past: http://www.blackpast.org/aah/mckay-claude-1889-1948

 

KRLemmons African American Biography, African American Poetry, Resources

April 6 Poet of the Day: Alice Dunbar Nelson

April  Poet of the Day is Alice Dunbar Nelson.  In addition to writing poems, Alice Dunbar Nelson also wrote stories and essays.  Read about this amazing writer here:

Additional resources:

National Park Service: http://www.nps.gov/daav/historyculture/aliceruthmooredunbarslifestory.htm

Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/22668

Modern American Poetry: http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/dunbar-nelson/dunbar-nelson.htm

Voices from the Gaps: http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/nelsonAlice.php

 

KRLemmons African American Biography, African American Poetry, Resources

April 5 Poet of the Day: William Stanley Braithwaite

William Stanley Braithwaite is April 5 Poet of the Day.  Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1878, Braithwaite was one of five children.  Read about this interesting poet and critic here:

Black Past: http://www.blackpast.org/aah/braithwaite-william-stanley-beaumont-1878-1962

Poetry Foundation:http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/william-stanley-braithwaite

Answers:http://www.answers.com/topic/william-stanley-braithwaite

Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/23726

 

KRLemmons African American Biography, African American Poetry, Resources

April 4 Poet of the Day: Georgia Douglas Johnson

April 4 Poet of the Day is Georgia Douglas Johnson, who was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Read about this fascinating poet here:

Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19686

BlackPast:http://www.blackpast.org/aah/johnson-georgia-blanche-douglas-camp-1877-1966

Modern American Poetry:http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/douglas-johnson/johnson.htm

Voices from the Gap: http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/johnsonGeorgia.php

KRLemmons African American Biography, African American Poetry, Lesson Plans, Resources

April 3 Poet of the Day: Countee Cullen

April 3 Poet of the Day is Countee Cullen.  Read about this poet here:

Poets.org: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/55

New Deal Resources: http://newdeal.feri.org/magpie/docs/3801p42.htm

http://newdeal.feri.org/magpie/docs/42winp19.htm

Shmoop (need to have an account to fully access all the resources): http://www.shmoop.com/incident-poem/

http://www.shmoop.com/yet-do-i-marvel-cullen/calling-card.html

 

KRLemmons African American Biography, African American Poetry, Resources

April 2 Poet of the Day: Phillis Wheatley

April is Poetry Month.  I will regularly post information and resources on African, African American, and Caribbean poets.  April 2 Poet of the Day is Phillis Wheatley.

Biography: http://www.biography.com/people/phillis-wheatley-9528784

Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/431

PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p12.html

Memoir and Poems: http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/wheatley/wheatley.html

Annenberg, includes teacher resources: http://www.learner.org/amerpass/unit04/authors-10.html

 

KRLemmons African American Biography, African American Poetry, Resources

April 1 is Poetry Month: Poem by Yusef Komunyakaa

Poets.Org features a poem a day.  April 1 poem is by Yusef Komunyakaa.  Information about him can be found here: His poem is titled Daytime Begins with a Line by Anna Akhmatova.  The poem can be found here: About this poem:

“‘Daytime Begins with a Line By Anna Akhmatova’ addresses a number of polarities as we think about class and its relationship to the creation of art, especially when considering Akhmatova’s apt critique of old world postures through an astute modernist lens. When she lived at the Marble Palace with her second husband, Vladimir Shileiko, one cannot overlook the fact she produced few poems in those years, perhaps because of their dire situation or her husband’s reductive attitude toward her poetry. Shileiko translated Babylonian text, and Akhmatova stood in line through hours of cold at the House of Scholars on Millionnoya Street for food. The poem appears in my forthcoming collection, The Emperor of Water Clocks.” —Yusef Komunyakaa – See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/23932#sthash.bxUjBo9q.dpuf
Information retrieved from poets.org