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Disappointed

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Topics: classic

An old man planted and dug and tended,     Toiling in joy from dew to dew;     The sun was kind, and the rain befriended;     Fine grew his orchard and fair to view.     Then he said: "I will quiet my thrifty fears,     For here is fruit for my failing years."     But even then the storm-clouds gathered,     Swallowing up the azure sky;     The sweeping winds into white foam lathered     The placid breast of the bay, hard by;     Then the spirits that raged in the darkened air     Swept o'er his orchard and left it bare.     The old man stood in the rain, uncaring,     Viewing the place the storm had swept;     And then with a cry from his soul despairing,     He bowed him down to the earth and wept.     But a voice cried aloud from the driving rain;     "Arise, old man, and plant again!"

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"An old man planted and dug and tended,..."

This evocative piece by Paul Laurence Dunbar, titled "Disappointed", represents a masterful exploration of classic. The lines capture a profound emotional resonance... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:Paul Laurence Dunbar

"An old man planted and dug and tended,..." by Paul Laurence Dunbar

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"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

Paul Laurence Dunbar

About Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) was an American poet and novelist who was one of the first African-American writers to gain national prominence. His poems in dialect—including "When Malindy Sings"—and standard English explore Black life with humor, pathos, and dignity.

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