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1 results

  • Chapter 19 - Black Lives in Contemporary Persona Poems

  • from Part II - Individuals and Communities
  • Edited by Joycelyn Moody, University of Texas, San Antonio
  • Book:
    A History of African American Autobiography
    Published online:
    30 September 2021
    Print publication:
    22 July 2021, pp 310-326

  • Summary

    Rambsy argues that the widespread recent use of persona poems by African American authors makes an examination of African American poetry in the context of autobiography especially timely. In the realm of poetry, Black writers have been integral to first-person portrayals of African American lives. An analysis of persona poems in relation to book-length volumes that concentrate on individual African American historical figures creates new scholarly possibilities. Indeed, book history and print culture studies concentrate on publications produced during the nineteenth century. Conversely, an examination of persona poems by Black poets reveals the viability of studying contemporary African American book history. This chapter addresses more than forty poets and sixty volumes of poetry and individual poems forming first-person narratives. Not comprehensive but focused, this study analyzes noteworthy contributions to the production of autobiographical narratives in African American poetry.