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Countee Cullen (30 May 1903 – 9 January 1946 / New York)
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Countee Cullen was an American poet who was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance.
Early life
Countee Cullen was possibly born on May 30, although due to conflicting accounts of his early life, a general application of the year of his birth as 1903 is reasonable. He was either born in New York, Baltimore, or Lexington, Kentucky, with his widow being convinced he was born in Lexington. Cullen was possibly abandoned by his mother, and reared by a woman named Mrs. Porter, who was probably his paternal grandmother. Porter brought young Countee to Harlem when he was nine. She died in 1918. No known reliable information exists of his childhood until 1918 when he ... more »
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Popular Poems
- A Brown Girl Dead
- For A Lady I Know
- For A Poet
- From the Dark Tower
- Fruit of the Flower
- Harlem Wine
- Heritage
- I Have A Rendezvous With Life
- In Memory Of Col. Charles Young
- Incident
- Karenge Ya Marenge
- Lines To My Father
- Saturday's Child
- She Of The Dancing Feet Sings
Quotations
more quotations »-
''All day long and all night through,
Countee Cullen (1903-1946), U.S. poet. Heritage (l. 116-119). . . My Soul's High Song; the Collected Writings of Countee Cullen, Voice of the Harl...
One thing only must I do:
Quench my pride and cool my blood,
Lest I perish in the flood.''
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''What is last year's snow to me,
Countee Cullen (1903-1946), U.S. poet. Heritage (l. 52-55). . . My Soul's High Song; the Collected Writings of Countee Cullen, Voice of the Harlem...
Last year's anything? The tree
Budding yearly must forget
How its past arose or set—''
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''Lord, I fashion dark gods, too,
Countee Cullen (1903-1946), U.S. poet. Heritage (l. 107-108). . . My Soul's High Song; the Collected Writings of Countee Cullen, Voice of the Harl...
Daring even to give You
Dark despairing features''
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What is Africa to me:
Countee Cullen (1903-1946), U.S. poet. Heritage (l. 1-6). . . My Soul's High Song; the Collected Writings of Countee Cullen, Voice of the Harlem R...
Copper sun or scarlet sea,
Jungle star or jungle track,
Strong bronzed men, or regal black
Women from whose loins I sprang
When the birds of Ed...
