Paul Laurence Dunbar Poem "A Drowsy Day"

Paul Laurence Dunbar wrote the poem "A Drowsy Day" in 1893. It was published in three of Dunbar's books, including Oak and Ivy and Majors and Minors, his first two volumes. It measures 7.5 by 5.5 inches (19 by 14 cm). This manuscript poem is part of a larger Paul Laurence Dunbar Collection held by the Ohio Historical Society. Dunbar (1872-1906) is acknowledged as the first significant African American poet in the United States. He was born Dayton, Ohio to parents who had been slaves. After high school, the Wright brothers (Orville and Wilbur) assisted Dunbar in publishing the Dayton Tattler, an African-American newspaper. His first book of poetry, Oak and Ivy, was published in 1893. It was followed by Lyrics of a Lowly Life, and Majors and Minors, ten other books of poetry, four books of short stories, five novels and a play