Sterling Brown Criticism
The critical scholarship surrounding Sterling Brown highlights his profound influence on African American literature and poetry. Often lauded for his authentic integration of African American folk traditions, Brown's work has been recognized for its depth and cultural significance by critics like James Weldon Johnson, who praised him for elevating dialect poetry beyond mere humor and pathos. Although Brown was somewhat neglected during his lifetime, contemporary scholarship increasingly acknowledges his foundational contributions to modern black verse, with critics such as Clyde Taylor emphasizing his role in reinforcing a unique identity within Afro-American writing.
Sterling Brown's poetry collections, notably Southern Road and The Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown, exhibit his narrative skill and originality. His deft use of dialect and folk elements serves to portray the resilience and dignity of African American life, themes which have been explored by scholars like William Rose Benét and Charles H. Rowell. Moreover, Sterling Stuckey has noted Brown's ability to transcend stereotypes and capture profound truths about the African American experience. As an educator at Howard University, Brown influenced generations, embedding a wealth of black cultural narratives into the broader literary canon, as discussed by Stephen E. Henderson.
Brown's innovative use of Afro-American vernacular and his exploration of complex racial and social themes have established him as a significant voice in twentieth-century American literature. His legacy is analyzed through the works of Michael S. Harper and David Breskin, who delve into his contributions to both poetry and literary criticism. Sterling Brown remains a seminal figure whose work continues to inspire and shape the discourse on African American identity and literature.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Brown, Sterling A(llen)
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James Weldon Johnson
(summary)
In the following essay, James Weldon Johnson argues that Sterling A. Brown significantly advanced American poetry by authentically incorporating the speech and spirit of Negro folk life into his work, creating original poetry that transcends mere transcription and demonstrates a unique humor and stoicism.
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Round about Parnassus
(summary)
In the following essay, William Rose Benét argues that Sterling A. Brown stands out among younger African American poets for his originality, narrative prowess, and versatility, highlighting his effective use of dialect and narrative poetry in Southern Road, and contrasting him favorably against contemporaries like Countée Cullen and Langston Hughes.
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A Notable New Book of Negro Poetry
(summary)
The essay praises Sterling Brown's "Southern Road" for its dignified portrayal of race, its artistic quality, and its significant contribution to American literature, asserting that the collection's dialect and emotional range demonstrate the capability and progress of the Negro artist.
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Book Notes: 'Southern Road'
(summary)
The critic praises Sterling Brown's poetry in Southern Road for its authentic incorporation of Negro folk music traditions and themes, while also critiquing the potentially artificial feel of his use of dialect spelling, noting Brown's sincerity and originality in his treatment of these elements.
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A Strong Man Named Sterling Brown
(summary)
In the following essay, Stephen E. Henderson praises Sterling Brown for embodying and transmitting the profound dignity and "Soul Wisdom" of Black culture through his scholarship, poetry, and teaching, emphasizing Brown's deep connection to Black folklore and his influence on future generations.
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Sterling A. Brown and the Afro-American Folk Tradition
(summary)
In the following essay, Charles H. Rowell examines how Sterling Brown transformed Afro-American literature by rooting it in the ethos of black folk, employing dialect, folk songs, and ballads to authentically portray black life and counteract stereotypical depictions, while capturing the resilience and spirit of African American communities.
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From One 'New Negro' to Another, 1923–1972
(summary)
In the following essay, Blyden Jackson argues that Sterling Brown's "Southern Road" serves as both a profound artistic representation and a historical documentation of African American life, celebrating the "New Negro" through authentic depictions of folk culture and social struggles, while maintaining cultural relevance beyond the Harlem Renaissance.
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Introduction
(summary)
In the following essay, Sterling Stuckey argues that Sterling Brown's Southern Road transcends stereotypes and captures the resilience and dignity of African Americans, revealing profound truths about human nature through a masterful blend of poetic simplicity and complex vision.
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Reconsideration: Sterling A. Brown
(summary)
In the following essay, O'Meally examines Sterling Brown's poetry, emphasizing its deep engagement with Afro-American folk traditions, the complex portrayal of African-American life, and its use of folk language to express the resilience and multifaceted human experiences of black individuals amidst societal adversities.
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Heavy Blues of Sterling Brown: A Study of Craft and Tradition
(summary)
In the following essay, Stephen E. Henderson argues that Sterling Brown's poetry is deeply intertwined with Afro-American culture and particularly the blues tradition, using its themes and stylistics to explore human resilience, while extending the literary expression of folk forms without compromising authenticity.
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The Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown
(summary)
In the following essay, Michael S. Harper discusses Sterling Brown's innovative and disciplined poetic composition, emphasizing his commitment to dignity, equality, and the expressive design of language, as well as his role as a great poet of community through the clarity and precision of his form and diction.
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Notes on Current Books, Poetry: 'The Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown'
(summary)
The critic highlights Sterling Brown as a significant narrative poet who skillfully elevates Afro-American dialect and folklore, particularly through his evocative portrayal of marginalized figures and protest themes, despite a limited lyrical range.
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Songs of a Racial Self
(summary)
In the following essay, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. argues that Sterling Brown's poetry uniquely merges Afro-American vernacular traditions with the Anglo-American poetic tradition, creating a complex and unified expression of racial identity, characterized by a precise diction that conveys intricate images and emotions while avoiding sentimentality.
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Short Circuits: 'The Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown'
(summary)
In the following essay, David Breskin highlights Sterling Brown's versatility as a poet and his focus on the common man, arguing that Brown's work explores complex themes of racial, social, and cultural divisions through the use of vernacular and folk forms, making him a significant American poet of the twentieth century.
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Arts and Letters: The First National Poetry Series
(summary)
In the following essay, Richard Tillinghast evaluates Sterling Brown's poetry as lacking in comparison to contemporary works, while acknowledging its merit in capturing Afro-American oral traditions through adept use of dialect and traditional verse forms.
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'Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown'
(summary)
In the following essay, Jascha Kessler argues that Sterling A. Brown's poetry, deeply rooted in the traditions of Blues, Jazz, and Spirituals, effectively captures the essence of Black experience in America with remarkable poetic skill, social protest, and a profound recognition of the richness and complexity of Black identity.
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James Weldon Johnson
(summary)
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Brown, Sterling
(summary)
In the following essay, Houston A. Baker, Jr. explores Sterling Brown's use of black folk themes and lyrical forms in his poetry, particularly in "Southern Road," and highlights his critical works, which underscore the significant cultural contributions of Black Americans.
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Essays
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Sterling Brown: American Peoples' Poet
(summary)
In the following essay, Clay assesses Brown's contribution to African American poetry.
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Introduction to The Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown
(summary)
In the following essay, which was originally published in 1974, Stuckey considers the critical reaction to Brown's poetry.
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The Human Image in Sterling Brown's Poetry
(summary)
In the following essay, Taylor offers an appreciation of Brown's work, contending that the poet's significance “is that he planted foundations beneath modern black verse, and in so doing, provided the core of identity of imaginative Afro-American writing.”
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The Distant Closeness of Dancing Doubles: Sterling Brown and William Carlos Williams
(summary)
In the following essay, Kutzinski compares Southern Road and William Carlos Williams's Paterson in order to derive insights into the definition of American poetry.
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In the Afro-American Grain
(summary)
In the following essay, Callahan asserts that Brown's emphasis on African American oral tradition and dialect is central to his poetic achievement.
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The New Negro Poet and the Nachal Man: Sterling Brown's Folk Odyssey
(summary)
In the following essay, Wright explores the impact of African American folklore on Brown's career and finds him uniquely qualified to provide an understanding of the work of Walter “Leadbelly” Boyd, the infamous African American Depression-era blues singer.
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The Literary Ballads of Sterling A. Brown
(summary)
In the following essay, Smith discusses the “complexity of Brown's artistic vision” and views the poet's major achievement as the restoration and recreation of African American folk literature.
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Sterling Brown: 1901-1989
(summary)
In the following essay, Henderson offers an overview of Brown's life and career.
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Slim's Heaven and Hell
(summary)
In the following essay, Chamblee elucidates Brown's conception of Heaven and Hell in his poem “Slim in Hell.”
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The Ballad, the Hero, and the Ride: A Reading of Sterling A. Brown's The Last Ride of Wild Bill
(summary)
In the following essay, Sanders perceives The Last Ride of Wild Bill as a collection of ballads that focus on the fundamental nature of heroism.
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Sterling Brown and the ‘Vestiges’ of the Blues: The Role of Race in English Verse Structure
(summary)
In the following essay, Manson analyzes the verse structure of Brown's “Challenge” and explores the role of race in the poem.
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Two Writers Sharing: Sterling A. Brown, Robert Frost, and ‘In Divés' Dive’
(summary)
In the following essay, Tidwell considers the influence of Robert Frost's “In Divés' Dive” on Brown's verse.
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Authenticity and Elevation: Sterling Brown's Theory of the Blues
(summary)
In the following essay, Thomas discusses Brown's incorporation of the blues tradition in his poetry, maintaining that he was able to “identify the authentic poetic voice of black America.”
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Sterling A. Brown and the Afro-American Folk Tradition
(summary)
In the following essay, Rowell explores how Brown's studies of African American folk traditions and culture impacted his poetic work.
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Reverberations of a Work Song
(summary)
In the following essay, Hirsch asserts that Brown “turned to folk forms like the blues, spirituals, and work songs to create an accurate, unsentimentalized, and dignified portrait of southern black life in the twentieth century.”
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The Souths of Sterling A. Brown
(summary)
In the following essay, Davey applauds Brown's attempts to present a fuller portrait of the African American experience in the South.
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The Poetry of Sterling A. Brown: A Study in Form and Meaning
(summary)
In the following essay, Gabbin assesses the influence of blues, spirituals, and work songs on Brown's poetry.
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Sterling Brown: American Peoples' Poet
(summary)
- Further Reading