Poems on Slavery


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(3.8 stars; 7 reviews)

This is a short volume of abolitionist poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, first published in 1842. As Wikipedia notes, Longfellow himself was not entirely satisfied with his work: "However, as Longfellow himself wrote, the poems were 'so mild that even a Slaveholder might read them without losing his appetite for breakfast'. A critic for The Dial agreed, calling it 'the thinnest of all Mr. Longfellow's thin books; spirited and polished like its forerunners; but the topic would warrant a deeper tone'. The New England Anti-Slavery Association, however, was satisfied enough with the collection to reprint it for further distribution." Despite these shortcomings, however, this volume is of historical importance and will interest many listeners. - Summary by Carolin (0 hr 15 min)

Chapters

The Noble Horse, by Philip Massinger 0:59 Read by aniroo
To William E. Channing 1:10 Read by aniroo
The Slave's Dream 1:37 Read by garyleosmith
The Good Part 1:40 Read by Joelee Pasztor
The Slave in the Dismal Swamp 1:33 Read by Chris Pyle
The Slave singing at Midnight 1:18 Read by Chris Pyle
The Witnesses 2:02 Read by Nemo
The Quadroon Girl 2:58 Read by Emma Charlotte
The Warning 1:28 Read by garyleosmith