Paul Lawrence Dunbar
A.
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Paul L. Dunbar was an American novelist and poet. He was born in 1872. His father escaped from slavery in Kentucky before the Civil War. Dunbar was born in Dayton, Ohio. He was one of the first authors to picture black life with honesty and realism. For this reason, his works are historically important, though most critics do not consider him a major writer.
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In much of his writing, Dunbar portrayed the lives, customs, and speech of Negro Americans. His best novel,
The Sport of the Gods
(1902), describes the hardships of Southern Blacks transplanted to a Northern city, but also their dignity and humor. Dunbar wrote many poems in the dialect of the former slaves. They include “When Malindy Sings,” and “When De Co’n Pone’s Hot.” He died in 1906.
(
World Book
1976)
B.
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Was Paul L. Dunbar a slave?
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What is meant by “dialect” of the former slaves? Give an
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example.
C.
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Listen to the cassette recording of several selected poems of P.L. Dunbar performed by thirteen-and fourteen-year-old students.
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D.
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Reading Assignment: “When Malindy Sings,” and “We Wear the Mask,” from the
Complete Poems of P.L. Dunbar
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E.
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Would “When Malindy Sings” be considered a serious or light poem? Why?
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Who was “Malindy?” Why was she so popular?
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Who is the wearer of the mask in the poem, “We Wear the Mask?”
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Do you feel Black Americans still wear the “masks”?
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Which of these poems do you prefer? Why.
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Which poem could easily convert into a song? Why?
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