18 pages • 36-minute read
Heritage
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Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
“Yet Do I Marvel” by Countee Cullen (1925)
This poem is a strong example of Cullen’s efforts to work within the English literary tradition. It is a formal sonnet expressing wonder at god’s inscrutable ways. It could have been written by an English poet like Thomas Hardy or even Cullen’s hero John Keats, but it ends with these famous final lines that place the poem’s recognizable sentiments firmly into the context of Black existence: “Yet do I marvel at this curious thing: / To make a poet Black, and bid him sing.”
“Atlantic City Waiter” by Countee Cullen (1925)
In this poem, which consists of four regular quatrains—another traditional poetic form—Cullen praises the proud and graceful movements of an African American waiter and asserts that the waiter’s poise and grace originate in his African heritage: “Ten thousand years on jungle clues / Alone shaped feet like these.”
“Pagan Prayer” by Countee Cullen (1925)
This poem addresses the value of Christian faith for Black people. Like “Heritage,” it questions if meekness and humility are appropriate responses to suffering.
Further Literary Resources
“Countee Cullen” by Poetry Foundation
This page on the Poetry Foundation website dedicated to Cullen skillfully brings together biographical information with analysis of the prevailing themes in his poetry. It serves as a useful introduction to Cullen’s overall literary output.
Introduction to Countee Cullen: Collected Poems by Major Jackson (2013)
The Library of America published this collection of Cullen’s poems in its American Poets Project series. Jackson assesses Cullen’s work and influence in his introduction, which can be read as a preview in Google books (scroll down the page and click on Introduction).
“On ‘Heritage’” by Ronald E. Sheasby (2011)
In this brief but intriguing contribution to the Modern American Poetry website, Sheasby discusses Cullen’s affinity for Romantic English poets and argues that “Heritage” may have been influenced by William Blake’s 1794 poem “The Tyger.”
Listen to Poem
“Heritage” is read by the poet
Countee Cullen himself reads the poem, preceded by a few words about the power of poetry. This is an old recording, so the sound is not perfect, but it is impactful to hear the poet’s voice.
“Heritage” is read by Hari Jones
In this recording, the poem is read by Hari Jones—a writer and curator at the African American Civil War Museum.
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