Countee Cullen:
Read:
p. 745 “Tableau”
p. 747 “Incident”
1. In Cullen’s biography (p. 744) it is noted that in
the introduction of an anthology of poetry from
black poets, Cullen “called for black poets to write
traditional verse and to avoid the restrictions of
solely racial themes.”
What are the themes of the two Cullen poems
included here? Is there any irony in which poems
were selected?
2. Compare and contrast the poetry and / or
themes of Cullen and Langston Hughes. (Think too
about what Cullen meant by “traditional verse” –
does Cullen do so? Does Hughes?)