|
|
Classic and Contemporary Poetry
FROM THE DARK TOWER, by COUNTEE CULLEN Poem Explanation Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: We shall not always plant while others reap Last Line: And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds. Subject(s): African Americans; Negroes; American Blacks | |||
We shall not always plant while others reap We shall not always plant while others reap The golden increment of bursting fruit, The golden increment of bursting fruit, Nor always countenance, abject and mute, Not always countenance, abject and mute, That lesser men should hold their brothers cheap; That lesser men should hold their brothers cheap; Not everlastingly while others sleep Not everlastingly while others sleep Shall we beguile their limbs with mellow flute, Shall we beguile their limbs with mellow flute, Not always bend to some more subtle brute; Not always bend to some more subtle brute; We were not made eternally to weep. We were not made eternally to weep. The night whose sable breast relieves the stark, The night whose sable breast relieves the stark, White stars is no less lovely being dark, White stars is no less lovely being dark, And there are buds that cannot bloom at all And there are buds that cannot bloom at all In light, but crumple, piteous, and fall. In light, but crumple, piteous, and fall; So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds, So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds, And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds. And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MY AUNT ELLA MAE by MICHAEL S. HARPER DERRICK POEM (THE LOST WORLD) by TERRANCE HAYES ODE TO BIG TREND by TERRANCE HAYES WOOFER (WHEN I CONSIDER THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN) by TERRANCE HAYES CONDITIONS XXI by ESSEX HEMPHILL THE LITANY OF THE DARK PEOPLE by COUNTEE CULLEN |
| |