The Reward

James Weldon Johnson 1871 (Jacksonville) – 1938 (Wiscasset)



No greater earthly boon than this I crave,
That those who some day gather 'round my grave,
In place of tears, may whisper of me then,
'He sang a song that reached the hearts of men.'

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

11 sec read
122

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 187
Words 39
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 4

James Weldon Johnson

James Weldon Johnson was an American author, educator, lawyer, diplomat, songwriter, and early civil rights activist. Johnson is best remembered for his leadership within the NAACP as well as for his writing, which includes novels, poems, and anthologies. He was also the first African-American professor at New York University. Later in life he was a professor of creative literature and writing at Fisk University. more…

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    "The Reward" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/20738/the-reward>.

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