The Black Bard of North Carolina: George Moses Horton and His Poetry

by Joan R. Sherman, Joan R. Sherman (Editor)

For his humanistic religious verse, his poignant and deeply personal antislavery poems, and, above all, his lifelong enthusiasm for liberty, nature, and the art of poetry, George Moses Horton merits a place of distinction among nineteenth-century African American poets. Enslaved from birth until the close of the Civil War, the self-taught Horton was the first American slave to protest his bondage in published verse and the first black man to publish a book in the South. As a man and as a poet, his achievements were extraordinary.

In this volume, Joan Sherman collects sixty-two of Horton's poems. Her comprehensive introduction--combining biography, history, cultural commentary, and critical insight--presents a compelling and detailed picture of this remarkable man's life and art.

George Moses Horton (ca. 1797-1883) was born in Northampton County, North Carolina. A slave for sixty-eight years, Horton spent much of his life on a farm near Chapel Hill, and in time he fostered a deep connection with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The author of three books of poetry, Horton was inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in May of 1996.

Genres: Poetry, History

168 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 1997

Reviews

[Muhammad · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Moses Horton was born into slavery in North Carolina around 1797. He was born with a natural gift for poetry. Due to the circumstances of his time he was unable to fully develop his gift. But what he left us, for me, showed a different type of genius. During this time in North Carolina it was not illegal for a slave to learn to read and write. Apparently that occurred in later years due to fears of slave revolts. But for George, he was able to receive books and learning from whites who saw his gift and wanted to help him learn. Some samples of his verse:

Creation fires my tongue!
Nature thy anthems raise;
And spread the universal song
Of thy Creator's praise!

Heaven's chief delight was Man
Before Creation's birth—
Ordained with joy to lead the van,
And reign the lord of earth,

When Sin was quite unknown,
And all the woes it brought,
He hailed the morn without a groan
Or one corroding thought.
PRAISE OF CREATION


True nature first inspires the man,
But he must after learn to scan,
And mark well every rule;
Gradual the climax then ascend,
And prove the contrast in the end,
Between the wit and fool.

A fool tho' blind, may write a verse,
And seem from folly to emerge,
And rhyme well every line;
One lucky, void of light, may guess,
And safely to the point may press,
But this does not refine.
THE ART OF A POET


Eternal spring of boundless grace!
It lifts the soul above,
Where God the Son unveils his face,
And shows that Heaven is love.

Love that revolves through endless years—
Love that can never pall;
Love which excludes the gloom of fears,
Love to whom God is all!

Love which can ransom every slave,
And set the pris'ner free;
Gild the dark horrors of the grave,
And still the raging sea.

Let but the partial smile of Heaven
Upon the bosom play,
The mystic sound of sins forgiven,
Can waft the soul away.

The pilgrim's spirits show this love,
They often soar on high;
Languish from this dim earth to move,
And leave the flesh to die.

Sing, oh my soul, rise up and run,
And leave this clay behind;
Wing thy swift flight beyond the sun,
Nor dwell in tents confined.
HEAVENLY LOVE

[Marjorie Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of the first Black man to publish a book in the South. He was enslaved at the time. He was illiterate. He learned to write by writing his book. It was called The Hope of Liberty (1829), and a mentor helped him publish it in order to sell copies to raise funds to buy his freedom. The story should be told in every school. The poems are a window into the mind of genius, unsuppressed by slavery.

I read this book in 1997 when it first came out. It was part of my education in anti-racism, in local Black history, which turned into a project, which turned into a movement, which turned into a jubilee, a curriculum, and, finally last fall, after 25 years, changing the name of the local middle school in my town to clearly state who it was always named for. Horton Middle became George Moses Horton Middle School. An extraordinary journey. Extraordinary poems. Sherman's research and insights open a window into the world of slavery, a struggle for literacy, a mind of genius, a heart set on freedom.

Find out more about him on my website: www.marjoriehudson.com/about

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This non-fiction book briefly describes the life of George Moses Horton and includes some of his poetry. If the cause of the American Civil War seems abstract to you - this may help you understand what was at stake.
The introduction describing Horton's life is fascinating and heartbreaking. He was an intellectual trapped by an inhumane system - hungry for knowledge but treated as chattel. Many of the poems express his quest for wisdom, liberty and justice. Some of them are just amusing - for example the love poems he wrote on behalf of University of North Carolina college students -he would write an an acrostic poem using the name of their girlfriend - totally sappy but sort of cute.

George Moses Horton is an important American literary figure because he was robbed of his humanity and his poetry is a good representation of the versification popular in the mid 1800's - it's not my favorite sort of poetry, though.

I learned of George Moses Horton, a poet and a slave, when I read
A Tangled Mercy- a novel I recommend.

[Phyll · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poet, George Moses Horton, composed most of his work while he was a slave and some before he could write. His poems about being a slave are heart wrenching. Whereas, his poems about love seem sappy while those about everyday life are humorous and cynical. In order to appreciate this poet’s work, one should be knowledgeable about his life situation. Sherman, the editor, a professor emerita of English at Rutgers University, provides both a scholarly and helpful account of Horton’s life as well as a critic of his poetry.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Moses Horton was born a slave and lived enslaved for 68 years. This collection of poetry is a powerful testament to a self educated man who tirelessly tried to shaped the nation around him.

A few of my favorite poems included:
"On Liberty and Slavery"
"The Slave's Complaint"
"On the Poetic Muse"
"Imploring to Be Resigned at Death"
"The Art of A Poet"
"Slavery"