Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, FROM THE DARK TOWER, by COUNTEE CULLEN


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

FROM THE DARK TOWER, by             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...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net