Come, essay a sprightly measure, Tuned to some light song of pleasu… Maidens, let your brows be crowned As we foot this merry round. From the ground a voice is singing…

I don’t believe in 'ristercrats An’ never did, you see; The plain ol’ homelike sorter folk… Is good enough fur me. O’ course, I don’t desire a man

'SUNSHINE on de medders, Greenness on de way; Dat’s de blessed reason I sing all de day.' Look hyeah! Whut you axin’?

HE scribbles some in prose and ve… And now and then he prints it; He paints a little, —gathers some Of Nature’s gold and mints it. He plays a little, sings a song,

Summah night an’ sighin’ breeze, 'Long de lovah’s lane; Frien’ly, shadder—mekin’ trees, 'Long de lovah’s lane. White folks’ wo’k all done up gran…

Fling out your banners, your honor… Raise to the ether your paeans of… Strike every chord and let music b… Celebrate freely this day of all d… Few are the years since that notab…

We is gathahed hyeah, my brothahs, In dis howlin’ wildaness, Fu’ to speak some words of comfo’t To each othah in distress. An’ we chooses fu’ ouah subjic’

Why was it that the thunder voice… Should call thee, studious, from t… Where calm—eyed Pallas with still… And charge thee seek the turmoil o… What bade thee hear the voice and…

How’s a man to write a sonnet, can… How’s he going to weave the dim, p… When a—toddling on the floor Is the muse he must adore, And this muse he loves, not wisely…

O Mother Race! to thee I bring This pledge of faith unwavering, This tribute to thy glory. I know the pangs which thou didst… When Slavery crushed thee with it…

DONE are the toils and the weari… Done is the summons of bugle and d… Softly and sweetly the sky overarc… Shelt’ring a land where Rebellion… Dark were the days of the country’…

Key and bar, key and bar, Iron bolt and chain! And what will you do when the Kin… To enter his domain? Turn key and lift bar,

I KNOW my love is true, And oh the day is fair. The sky is dear and blue, The flowers are rich of hue, The air I breathe is rare,

W’en daih’s chillun in de house, Dey keep on a—gittin’ tall; But de folks don’ seem to see Dat dey’s growin’ up at all, 'Twell dey fin’ out some fine day

When I was young I longed for Lo… And held his glory far above All other earthly things. I cried… ‘Come, Love, dear Love, with me a… And with my subtlest art I wooed,