Paul Laurence Dunbar Dies, Legacy of America's First Nationally Recognized Black Poet

Paul Laurence Dunbar died at age 33, leaving behind a body of poetry, novels, and short stories that had made him the first African American poet to achieve national and international critical recognition. His dialect poetry — though later debated — gave voice to Black rural Southern life, while his formal verse addressed race and humanity with power. Dunbar's work influenced the Harlem Renaissance poets who followed him.