INTRODUCTION."Another book of poetry," exclaims the reader; "and that, too, by one of the proscribed race, -whose lot has been ignorance and servitude." It is even so: and this little Yolnroe is presented to the public in the full confidence that it will be read and appreciated, when the circumstances of its origin are known. Its merits as a literary production, we leave to be decided upon by the kind judgment of the American people. "We do not claim that the poetry is of the highest order: but we do claim that it would be creditable to authors of greater pretensions than the humble colored man, who hath wrought it out amid the daily and incessant toil necessary for the maintenance of a family, who are dependent upon the labor of his hands for support. There is in it the fire of a genius which, under more favored circumstances, would have soared high, aud obtained no mean place in the world's estimation. There is the voice of true poesy speaking in it, which, though in the rougTable of Contents CONTENTS; America,; Christmas Hymn,_; Lines on the death of J Quincy Adams,; To Cinque,; New Year's Hymn,; To A, H,; Love,; How Long,; The Arch Apostate,; The Misanthropist,; A Hymn,; Tes I strike again that sounding string,; To-; Prayer of the Oppressed,; To S A T; Delusive Hope,; To M E A; A Hymn,; Self-Reliance, ; Ode for the Fourth of July,; Midnight Musings; Ode to Music, ; Stanzas for the month of August, -----About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the difficult to r