Copper Sun

by Countee Cullen

Copper Sun is a collection of poetry published in New York in 1927. The collection examines the sense of love, particularly a love or unity between white and black people. In some poems, love is ominous and leads to death. However, in general, the love extends not only to people but to natural elements such as plants, trees, etc. Many of the poems also link the concept of love to a Christian background. Yet, Cullen was also attracted to something both pagan as well as Christian. in one of his poems "One Day We Played a Game", the theme of love appears. The speaker calls: "'First love! First love!' I urged". (The poem portrays love as necessary to continue in life and that it is basic to life as the corner stone or the fundamental of building home.) Similarly, in "Love's Way", Cullen's poem portrays a love that shares and unifies the world. The poem suggests that "love is not demanding, all, itself/ Withholding aught; love's is nobler way/ of courtesy" . In the poem, the speaker contends that "Love rehabilitates unto the end." Love fixes itself, regrows, and heals.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Classics, African American

89 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1927

About the author

Countee Cullen was was an American poet who was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance. He was raised in a Methodist parsonage. He attended De Witt Clinton High School in New York and began writing poetry at the age of fourteen.

In 1922, Cullen entered New York University. His poems were published in The Crisis, under the leadership of W. E. B. Du Bois, and Opportunity, a magazine of the National Urban League. He was soon after published in Harper's, the Century Magazine, and Poetry. He won several awards for his poem, "Ballad of the Brown Girl," and graduated from New York University in 1923. That same year, Harper published his first volume of verse, Color, and he was admitted to Harvard University where he completed a master's degree.

His second volume of poetry, Copper Sun (1927), met with controversy in the black community because Cullen did not give the subject of race the same attention he had given it in Color. He was raised and educated in a primarily white community, and he differed from other poets of the Harlem Renaissance like Langston Hughes in that he lacked the background to comment from personal experience on the lives of other blacks or use popular black themes in his writing. An imaginative lyric poet, he wrote in the tradition of Keats and Shelley and was resistant to the new poetic techniques of the Modernists. He died in 1946.

Reviews

[Tim Jarrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cullen writes vividly about prejudice and bigotry, and somehow both vividly and vaguely about romantic love. The first section of the book and "Love's Way" are worth the price of admission.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time I've had the chance to read any of Countee Cullen's poetry, and I'm so glad Serial Reader had Copper Sun available. The poetry was lovely to read. I read a lot of contemporary poetry, so it's nice to spend time with works that use traditional forms of poetry that originally made me love poems. The literary allusions were really interesting. The love poems were touching. Overall a very enjoyable poetry collection, and definitely underappreciated. Recommended!

[Dana Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Musings on love, death, and degradation. These poems stood out in particular: "From the Dark Tower," "Colors," "A Song of Sour Grapes," "Song," "Youth Sings a Song of Rosebuds," "Ultimatum," and "Leaves." For instance, the last stanza of "Song" left a vivid impression.

“There is a word that must be spoken,
A word your heart would hear,
And mine must whisper, or be broken;
Oh, make your heart your ear.”

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to read about the horrible violence of slavery but we must never forget what horrible pursuits man is capable of. We must stand against salivary and bigotry wherever we find it.

[J.A.]

Cullen had a keen sense of love and death, and puts both on display in this collection.

[Joey Schafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up, pretty decent poetry. Favorite one was “Song”

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous collection of poetry. The notes on some poems were interesting, especially when it was stated what the poem was in reaction to, such as visiting Keath's graves.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cullen Culls #1
Nice volume of poetry from this geezer, an enjoyable read.
It's brilliant to be able to find books like this today, on places like serial app and read them.

[Annis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to read the 1927 first edition with the Charles Cullen illustrations which made reading this beautiful collection even more special

[Grace, Queen of Crows and Tomes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

See Color.