Paul Laurence Dunbar

Bio

• Born in Dayton, Ohio on June 27, 1872
• Died on Feb. 9, 1906
• African-American poet
• Novelist

Struggles

• Parents were freed slaves, separated shortly after his birth
• Only black person at his high school
• Couldn't go to college because of the lack of money
• Had a hard time looking for a job

Career

• Wrote for Dayton community newspapers
• Elevator operator
• First collection of poetry, Oak and Ivy, published in 1892
• Gained fame in 1893

Poems and Novels

• Majors and minors
• Lyrics of lowly life
• We Wear The Mask
• The Uncalled
• Folks From Dixie (short story)

Accomplishments

• One of the first African-Americans to attempt to live by his writings
• Influential black poets in American literature

Works Cited

• Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2015.
• "Paul Laurence Dunbar." Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2015.

THE END:)