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The Dreamer

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Topics: classic

Temples he built and palaces of air,     And, with the artist's parent-pride aglow,     His fancy saw his vague ideals grow     Into creations marvellously fair;     He set his foot upon Fame's nether stair.     But ah, his dream,--it had entranced him so     He could not move. He could no farther go;     But paused in joy that he was even there!     He did not wake until one day there gleamed     Thro' his dark consciousness a light that racked     His being till he rose, alert to act.     But lo! what he had dreamed, the while he dreamed,     Another, wedding action unto thought,     Into the living, pulsing world had brought.

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Author:Paul Laurence Dunbar

"Temples he built and palaces of air,..." by Paul Laurence Dunbar

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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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