Dunbar was one of the first African Americans to gain national eminence for being a poet. He was recognized mostly because he wasn?t just a black leader but his ideas could be applied to anyone and everyone. Through his work he was trying to make the whole world a better place not just his race. He realized that the whole world would have to change before anything would happen about the inequalities that his people faced were changed. He was born in 1872 in Dayton Ohio and only lives to 33 years old. Even though his young death he excelled as a prolific poet.
In seedling Dunbar uses a struggling seedling trying to become a beautiful flower as a metaphor of blacks struggling for equality. The seedling in his poem first sets up a mind set that even if I?m not the best I?m going to be the best I can.
Frederick Douglass
Sketch of African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunb...
Dunbar's Number in Twitter ConversationsAfter setting a goal the seedling tries to achieve it, it first looks around and surveys it?s situation. Then it calls on its brother Stem to help out. Soon after two leaves are formed on Stem. Then after that it kept growing and became a plant. After becoming a plant it gathered rain and sunshine, and blossomed into a beautiful flower. Then its work is done and its goal is accomplished.
Dunbar used a flower to show his people?s struggles to fight racism and to gain equality. He showed that first you need to set a goal. Then in order to obtain that goal you will need help from others. No matter how smart you are you will need help from friends. After your friends helped you, you need to keep going and work towards your goal. But most importantly even if you are white and reading his poems...