James+W.+Johnson

**James W. Johnson** media type="custom" key="3303394" media type="custom" key="3296510"

"I will not allow one prejudiced person or one million or one hundred million to blight my life. I will not let prejudice or any of its attendant humiliations and injustices bear me down to spiritual defeat. My inner life is mine, and I shall defend and maintain its integrity against all the powers of hell (quoted in Skinner, 237, listed below)." Quote from http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap9/jwjohnson.html media type="custom" key="3301658" media type="custom" key="3302432" [|Listen To MP3 Player] media type="custom" key="3302452" media type="custom" key="3302410" media type="custom" key="3301668" || == == || ==Go Down, Death== || ||  || Weep not, weep not, 1 She is not dead; She's resting in the bosom of Jesus. Heart-broken husband--weep no more; Grief-stricken son--weep no more; 5 Left-lonesome daughter --weep no more; She only just gone home.

Day before yesterday morning, God was looking down from his great, high heaven, Looking down on all his children, 10 And his eye fell on Sister Caroline, Tossing on her bed of pain. And God's big heart was touched with pity, With the everlasting pity.

And God sat back on his throne, 15 And he commanded that tall, bright angel standing at his right hand: Call me Death! And that tall, bright angel cried in a voice That broke like a clap of thunder: Call Death!--Call Death! 20 And the echo sounded down the streets of heaven Till it reached away back to that shadowy place, Where Death waits with his pale, white horses.

And Death heard the summons, And he leaped on his fastest horse, 25 Pale as a sheet in the moonlight. Up the golden street Death galloped, And the hooves of his horses struck fire from the gold, But they didn't make no sound. Up Death rode to the Great White Throne, 30 And waited for God's command.

And God said: Go down, Death, go down, Go down to Savannah, Georgia, Down in Yamacraw, And find Sister Caroline. 35 She's borne the burden and heat of the day, She's labored long in my vineyard, And she's tired-- She's weary-- Go down, Death, and bring her to me. 40

And Death didn't say a word, But he loosed the reins on his pale, white horse, And he clamped the spurs to his bloodless sides, And out and down he rode, Through heaven's pearly gates, 45 Past suns and moons and stars; On Death rode, Leaving the lightning's flash behind; Straight down he came.

While we were watching round her bed, 50 She turned her eyes and looked away, She saw what we couldn't see; She saw Old Death. She saw Old Death Coming like a falling star. But Death didn't frighten Sister Caroline; 55 He looked to her like a welcome friend. And she whispered to us: I'm going home, And she smiled and closed her eyes.

And Death took her up like a baby, And she lay in his icy arms, 60 But she didn't feel no chill. And death began to ride again-- Up beyond the evening star, Into the glittering light of glory, On to the Great White Throne. 65 And there he laid Sister Caroline On the loving breast of Jesus.

And Jesus took his own hand and wiped away her tears, And he smoothed the furrows from her face, And the angels sang a little song, 70 And Jesus rocked her in his arms, And kept a-saying: Take your rest, Take your rest.

Weep not--weep not, She is not dead; 75 She's resting in the bosom of Jesus. ||

media type="custom" key="3303464" Author's works related to the themes of the Harlem Renaissance

James W. Johnson was a writer, poet, and songwriter during the Harlem Renaissance. Johnson’s works embraced his history and told stories through his poetry. He believed that African-Americans, through literature could prove their intellectual equality rather than combat racism. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of growth for African American cultural. It occurred during the post World War I period and throughout the Great Depression. During this period many African American writers and artists became famous. They became known for embracing their culture and the issue of slavery, which no one had done before. Some of these writers included Charles W. Chesnutt and Claude McKay. Johnson's most famous publication was “The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man”, which was originally submitted anonymously in 1912. It was brought about the issues between the white and black races and set the standard for writer such as Zora Lee Hurston, Richard Wright, and Ralph Ellison. In his spare time he also wrote songs and poems. Some of his poetic work includes, “The Creation” and “Go Down Death”. He also composed a book of his poetry called, //God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse.// Not only known for his poetry, but his song writing also became legendary. He and his brother composed around 200 songs for Broadway. One song, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”, came to be known as the Black National Anthem. Outside of his literary works he worked with organizations such as the Colored Republic Club where he served as treasurer, he was the US consul to Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, and served as secretary to the NAACP where he brought about the attention of racism, lynching and segregation. media type="custom" key="3303344" media type="custom" key="3331076" [|Image Source] media type="custom" key="3331080" James Weldon Johnson was born on June 17th, 1871 in Jacksonville, Florida. When Johnson was twenty three years old, he graduated from Atlanta University with a degree in literature. Johnson became a lawyer, anthologist, teacher, song writer, poet, and civil rights activist. Johnson was the second of three children, and his interest in reading and music was encouraged by his parents. Johnson’s mother taught at the school from which he graduated. The Jacksonville school that Johnson’s mother taught at was later the school he was the principal of, improving education there by adding an additional ninth and tenth grade. While Johnson was still a principal, he studied law and later became the first African American to pass the bar exam in Florida. In 1897, Johnson and his younger brother, John Rosamond, began collaborating on a musical theater. The two of them attempted to get a comic opera called __Tolosa__ while in New York in 1899, but they were unsuccessful. Johnson then started writing lyrics for which his brother composed the music, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which came to be known as the “Negro National Anthem.” In 1902 Johnson resigned from the job of being a principal in Jacksonville and moved to New York with his brother and Bob Cole to write songs. They became very successful together. Later, Johnson became dissatisfied with the racial stereotypes shown by popular music. In 1903, he began taking graduate courses at Columbia University to improve his literature skills. In 1906 Johnson took a position allowing him time to write poetry and work on a novel at Puerto Cabello in Venezuela. In 1910, while in Nicaragua, Johnson married Grace Nail, who happened to be the daughter of a real estate developer from New York. Johnson was still in Nicaragua when he finished his novel called __The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man__, which was published in 1912 anonymously in hopes that readers might think it is a factual story. Johnson resigned his consulship and returned to the U.S. in 1913. media type="custom" key="3303480"media type="custom" key="3303594" media type="custom" key="3331094" [|Image Source] media type="custom" key="3331098"  He stayed in Jacksonville for a year and the moved to New York again. Once Johnson moved back to New York, he became an editorial writer for __The New York Age__, where he was a champion for equal rights. Johnson published his first collection of poetry in 1917, __Fifty Years and Other Poems__. The title poem received praise when it first appeared in __The New York Times__. In 1916, Johnson was offered the post of field secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NACCP). Later in 1920, Johnson became the general secretary of the NAACP. Johnson’s duties kept him from writing as much as he would have liked although he found time to assemble three ground-breaking anthologies: __The Book of American Negro Poetry__ in 1922, __The Book of American Negro Spirituals__ in 1925, and __The Second Book of Negro Spirituals__ in 1926. In 1927, Johnson’s second collection of poetry appeared, __God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse__. These works mark Johnson’s last significant creative endeavor. After taking a leave of absence in 1929, Johnson resigned as the general secretary of NAACP in 1930. In Johnson’s final years while in New York, he wrote "Black Manhatan," a history of black life that focused on the Harlem Renaissance. His truly autobiographical “Along This Way” was published in 1933. The following year, “Negro Americans, What Now?” (a book that he made to argue for the integration as the only viable solution to America’s racial problems) was published. On June 26th, 1938, in Wiscasset, Maine, Johnson died in an automobile accident. While driving his car, he was struck by a train. His funeral in Harlem was attended by more than 2000 people. Johnson is now buried in Brooklyn, New York at Green-Wood Cemetery. media type="custom" key="3303484"media type="custom" key="3336458"[|Image Source] media type="custom" key="3336464"  Work Cited <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">"James Weldon Johnson." __Aablc.com__. 2007. 21 Feb. 2009 <[]>. Lamb, Annette, and Larry Johnson. "Harlem Renaissance." __Thematic Pathfinders for All Ages__. June 2008. EduScapes. 21 Feb. 2009 <[]>. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">McElrath, Jessica. "James Weldon Johnson." __About.com__. 2000. 28 Feb. 2009 <[]>.

media type="custom" key="3301492"

James Weldon Johnson's poem, "Go Down Death," portrays how death can sometimes bring comfort after a life of suffering. He uses verbal irony in verses such as "Weep not--weep not, She is not dead; She's resting in the bosom of Jesus." It is ironic in a way that the narrator claims she is alive but in reality she is dead. The poem is written in a narrative point of view. "Go Down Death" is a free verse since there are no specific rhyme schemes or a set number of lines per stanzas throughout the poem. He speaks formally except in lines such as line 29 where he speaks in a colloquial language. This informal language shows this poem is addressed to not only the middle class but to the poor. Johnson wants to show that the girl in this story is poor and doesn't live a lavish life. The poem uses personifications in phrases such as "Go Down, Death" and "Call Death!" Simile is used in lines 19, 54, 56, and 59. In line 21, metaphor is used to show the narrator comparing Heaven to the city streets on earth.