“Revisiting the Transformative Journey of Georgia Douglas Johnson, an Iconic African American Poet and Playwright”
Georgia Douglas Johnson: A Tribute on Her Birthday, September 10
Born on September 10, 1880, Georgia Douglas Johnson was not just an accomplished American poet but also one of the earliest African American playwrights to leave a mark on the Harlem Renaissance. The Reliable Narrator offers a closer look at Douglas Johnson’s life and her extraordinary contributions to literature.
Plot Points
Georgia Douglas Johnson: Unraveling Her Story
Georgia Douglas Johnson was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 10, 1880. After graduating from Atlanta University’s Normal School in 1896, Johnson moved to Washington, D.C., in 1910 with her husband, Henry Lincoln Johnson, and their two sons.
Throughout her life, Johnson passionately penned down her thoughts, achieving national acclaim for her poetic prowess.
The Harlem Renaissance and Georgia Douglas Johnson
In the early 20th century, the Harlem district in New York City blossomed into a hub for African American culture. The movement, known as the Harlem Renaissance, spanning the 1910s to 1930s, witnessed an influx of African American families from the South to the North.
In this period of cultural expansion, where art, music, and literature flourished, figures like Louis Armstrong, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Georgia Douglas Johnson came to the forefront.
Diving into the World of Johnson’s Poetry
Johnson penned several poetry collections, touching on women’s roles, motherhood, and racial inequality. Some of her renowned collections include “The Heart of a Woman” (1918), “Bronze” (1922), “An Autumn Love Cycle” (1928), and “Share My World” (1962).
Her work continues to inspire readers and aspiring writers alike.
Douglas Johnson and the S Street Salon
After the death of her husband in 1925, Johnson initiated a tradition of hosting “Saturday Salons” at her home, lasting nearly 40 years. This meeting place, known as the S Street Salon, became a social and intellectual hub for writers during the Harlem Renaissance.
Remembering Georgia Douglas Johnson Through Her Poems
As we commemorate Georgia Douglas Johnson, let’s dive into her timeless poems that reverberate themes as relevant today as they were a century ago. Whether it’s “The Heart of a Woman” or “Calling Dreams,” her poems continue to stir the creativity of many.
The Heart of a Woman
The heart of a woman goes forth with the dawn,
As a lone bird, soft winging, so restlessly on,
Afar o’er life’s turrets and vales does it roam
In the wake of those echoes the heart calls home.
The heart of a woman falls back with the night,
And enters some alien cage in its plight,
And tries to forget it has dreamed of the stars
While it breaks, breaks, breaks on the sheltering bars.
Calling Dreams
The right to make my dreams come true,
I ask, nay, I demand of life,
Nor shall fate’s deadly contraband
Impede my steps, nor countermand;
Too long my heart against the ground
Has beat the dusty years around,
And now at length I rise! I wake!
And stride into the morning break
Hope
Frail children of sorrow, dethroned by a hue,
The shadows are flecked by the rose sifting through,
The world has its motion, all things pass away;
No night is omnipotent, there must be day!
The oak tarries long in the depths of the seed
But swift is the season of nettle and weed,
Abide yet awhile in the mellowing shade
And rise with the hour for which you were made.
The cycle of seasons, the tidals of man,
Revolve in the orb of the infinite plan;
We move to the rhythm of ages long done,
And each has his hour — to dwell in the sun!
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