The Black bard of North Carolina : George Moses Horton and his poetry /

The Black Bard fills the breach in information about the life and work of this 19th-century African American poet. Sherman (Rutgers Univ.) provides a 45-page introduction (with excellent footnotes and bibliography), which is divided into sections titled "History" and "Criticism." Here she discusses the relationship between Horton and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and offers objective and careful criticisms of Horton's poetic canon. The balance of the volume consists of Horton's uncollected poems--which have hitherto gone largely unrecognized--and poems from his published works--The Hope of Liberty (1829), The Poetical Works (1845), and The Naked Genius (1865). The gathering of Horton's poetry in one volume leads to insights into influences, themes, subjects, and poetic forms and diction, while uncovering the driving forces behind his poetry, "the contrast between liberty and bondage." Suitable for all undergraduate and graduate students, and for researchers interested in production, criticism, and resources on early American literature and African American poets. B. Taylor-Thompson; Texas Southern University

Sherman (African-American Poetry of the Nineteenth Century, LJ 10/92) has culled 62 of the poems of George Moses Horton (ca. 1797-1883) from his three volumes: The Hope of Liberty (1829), the Poetical Works (1845), and Naked Genius (1865). She provides an in-depth introduction and biographical information that puts Horton in context, and she occasionally corrects errors of previous critics. Sherman also gives an insightful if brief analysis of his poetry. She particularly focuses on his connection with the University of North Carolina, where the self-educated Horton was campus poet for years. Because he was enslaved for 68 years, one of Horton's most powerful and poignant subjects is the desire for liberty, which was often cruelly snatched from him. Sherman's edition will aid in securing Horton's place as a significant 19th-century American poet. Recommended for larger poetry collections.‘Louis J. Parascandola, Long Island Univ., Brooklyn (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.