Modern African American Poets: From Hughes to Parker

This book consists of eight chapters covering poets from the Harlem Renaissance until the present day. It considers the Harlem Renaissance poets Hughes and Cullen from new perspectives, with regards to two psychological types: self-acceptance and self-dejection. The first two chapters discuss Hughes’ and Cullen’s expression of race relations and the way they protest. Chapter three on Roscoe C. Jamison represents unheard voices, while the fourth chapter, focusing on Ai, analyzes multi-ethnic roots and dissects American society, highlighting the reasons for violence and sexual hunger. Chapter five on Nikky Finney, a representative of Affrilachian poetry and a political activist, focuses on different social and political issues. Chapters six and seven discuss the application of Dual Inheritance Theory on African American and Afro-German poetry. Chapter eight tackles the ongoing effort of redefining black womanhood, with specific emphasis on Morgan Parker.