Poem "Ananias (A ballad in Old Piedmont Negro dialect)"

Dublin Core

Title

Poem "Ananias (A ballad in Old Piedmont Negro dialect)"

Description

This "Old Piedmont Negro dialect" poem was written by a white male student masquerading as a black storyteller. Its title refers to the fictional central character, Nias, an enslaved black man who is characterized as an unintelligent, unhygenic, yet hard-working giant. The writer uses racial slurs to describe him as well. Nias notably attracts many black women wherever he goes, who fight over being able to sleep with him due to his size. He later performs manual labor for the Confederate Army, ultimately dying to save a white man's life.

Source

Kirk, Paul W., Jr. "Ananias (A ballad in Old Piedmont Negro dialect)." <em>The Messenger</em> LXXXIV, no. 1 (Fall 1957): 24-28. University Archives, RG 24 Student Publications. Virginia Baptist Historical Society, Richmond, Virginia.

Publisher

The Messenger, University of Richmond

Date

1957

Contributor

Damian Hondares
Gabby Kiser

Language

English

Type

Identifier

MessengerLXXXIV.1.24-1957

Files

DSCF2534.pdf

Citation

Kirk, Jr., Paul W. , “Poem "Ananias (A ballad in Old Piedmont Negro dialect)",” University of Richmond Race & Racism Project, accessed December 5, 2024, https://memory.richmond.edu/items/show/379.