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The Meadow Lark

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Topics: classic

Though the winds be dank,     And the sky be sober,     And the grieving Day     In a mantle gray     Hath let her waiting maiden robe her,--     All the fields along     I can hear the song     Of the meadow lark,     As she flits and flutters,     And laughs at the thunder when it mutters.     O happy bird, of heart most gay     To sing when skies are gray!     When the clouds are full,     And the tempest master     Lets the loud winds sweep     From his bosom deep     Like heralds of some dire disaster,     Then the heart alone     To itself makes moan;     And the songs come slow,     While the tears fall fleeter,     And silence than song by far seems sweeter.     Oh, few are they along the way     Who sing when skies are gray!

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"Though the winds be dank,..."

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Author:Paul Laurence Dunbar

"Though the winds be dank,..." 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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