Paul Laurence Dunbar Publishes 'Lyrics of Lowly Life,' Achieves National Fame

Paul Laurence Dunbar, son of formerly enslaved parents, published 'Lyrics of Lowly Life' in 1896 with an introduction by leading critic William Dean Howells, becoming the first Black poet to achieve national commercial success. He privately chafed at being typecast in Black dialect, preferring his formal English verse.