Browse Items (23 total)

This poem describes a foreign slave auction from two perspectives. The first is of someone excited by the atmosphere who describes the actions of participating "Arabs" and Africans in detail, also using the exclamation "Allah!" at some points. This…

The title of this poem uses a derogatory racial slur to describe its main character. The narrator of this poem relays the time he saw a black man in heaven. This black man is dressed in "crimson satin things" with "golden teeth" and with "jeweled…

This poem is titled with a racial slur to elaborate that it not only depicts slavery, but also speaks for black people generally. The poem is a description of enslaved blacks which calls them a "dead race." In discussing slavery, it contrasts their…

This poem by Chack Kwong Wong describes the poet's longing for home and feeling “alone in this foreign land.” Wong was native to Canton, China.

This page shows two poems written by Chinese student Poon Kant Mok of the 1927 graduating class, "First Love" and "Crossing." The first poem, "First Love," is a brief romantic piece. The second poem, "Crossing," discusses homesickness, a…

This poem by Poon Kant Mok of the 1927 graduating class describes separation between the narrator and a hesitant lover who ultimately leaves him. The narrator encourages this lover, whom he calls "Far-to-seek," to keep going despite him.

In this poem, writer R. A. S. states his admiration for Pocahontas. He contrasts her with her native people, the "fierce Indian lads," whom he likens to barbarians. Through this poem, the author portrays his negative views on indigenous people in…

This poem contrasts the longings of two Mexican men. The first, "born into Gayety Hall," feels out of place during a visit to Mexico and wishes to be back home in busy Manhattan. The second, born in Mexico, is in the setting that the first dreams of,…

This poem reinforces ideas of hopelessness and permanence, repeating many lines and ultimately lamenting, "but you are trapped, hung in one spot / dangling over water, lost / to one world, lost in the other[.]" "Bugger" is a homophobic slang term.…

This poem from the 1954 Messenger addresses a bumpy city bus that the narrator rides, urging it to pay attention to the people that ride it. This narrator speculates about the lives and personalities of some assumedly white riders before listing off…