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Poem
January 12, 1901
The Colored American
Washington, District Of Columbia
What is this article about?
The poem 'The Haunted Oak' by Paul Laurence Dunbar features a tree narrating the lynching of an innocent Black man, haunted by the injustice, grief, and moral outrage of the vigilante mob's actions under moonlight.
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THE HAUNTED OAK,
(From the Century Magazine.)
"Pray, why are you so bare, so bare,
O bough of the old oak-tree;
And why, when I go through the
shade you throw
Runs a shudder over me?
"My leaves were green as the best, I trow
And sap ran free in my veins,
But I saw in the moonlight dim
weird
A guiltless victim's pains.
"I bent me down to hear his sigh;
I shook with his gurgling moan:
And I trembled sore when they rode away
And left him here alone.
"They'd charged him with the old, old
crime,
And set him fast in jail:
Oh, why does the dog howl all night along
And why does the night wind wail?
"He prayed his prayer and he swore his
oath,
And he raised his hands to the sky;
But the beat of hoofs smote on his ear,
And the steady tread drew nigh.
"Who is it rides by night, by night,
Over the moonlit road?
And what is the spur that keeps the pace.
What is the galling goad?
"And now they beat at the prison door,
Ho, keeper, do not stay!
We are friends of him whom you hold
within,
And we fain would take him away.
"'From those who ride fast on our heels
With mind to do him wrong;
They have no care for his innocence,
And the rope they bear is strong."
"They have fooled the jailer with lying
words,
They have fooled the man with lies,
The bolts unbar, the locks are drawn,
The great door open flies.
"Now they have taken him from the jail,
And hard and fast they ride,
And the leader laughs low down in his
throat,
As they halt my trunk beside.
"Oh, the judge he wore a mask of black,
And the doctor one of white
And the minister, with his eldest son,
Was curiously bedight.
"'O foolish man, why weep you now?
'Tis but a little space,
And the time will come when these shall
dread
The memory of your face.'
"I feel the rope against my bark,
And the weight of him in my grain.
I feel in the throe of his final woe
The touch of my own last pain.
"And nevermore shall leaves come
forth
On a bough that bears the ban;
I am burned with dread, I am dried and
dead,
From the curse of a guiltless man."
-PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR,
(From the Century Magazine.)
"Pray, why are you so bare, so bare,
O bough of the old oak-tree;
And why, when I go through the
shade you throw
Runs a shudder over me?
"My leaves were green as the best, I trow
And sap ran free in my veins,
But I saw in the moonlight dim
weird
A guiltless victim's pains.
"I bent me down to hear his sigh;
I shook with his gurgling moan:
And I trembled sore when they rode away
And left him here alone.
"They'd charged him with the old, old
crime,
And set him fast in jail:
Oh, why does the dog howl all night along
And why does the night wind wail?
"He prayed his prayer and he swore his
oath,
And he raised his hands to the sky;
But the beat of hoofs smote on his ear,
And the steady tread drew nigh.
"Who is it rides by night, by night,
Over the moonlit road?
And what is the spur that keeps the pace.
What is the galling goad?
"And now they beat at the prison door,
Ho, keeper, do not stay!
We are friends of him whom you hold
within,
And we fain would take him away.
"'From those who ride fast on our heels
With mind to do him wrong;
They have no care for his innocence,
And the rope they bear is strong."
"They have fooled the jailer with lying
words,
They have fooled the man with lies,
The bolts unbar, the locks are drawn,
The great door open flies.
"Now they have taken him from the jail,
And hard and fast they ride,
And the leader laughs low down in his
throat,
As they halt my trunk beside.
"Oh, the judge he wore a mask of black,
And the doctor one of white
And the minister, with his eldest son,
Was curiously bedight.
"'O foolish man, why weep you now?
'Tis but a little space,
And the time will come when these shall
dread
The memory of your face.'
"I feel the rope against my bark,
And the weight of him in my grain.
I feel in the throe of his final woe
The touch of my own last pain.
"And nevermore shall leaves come
forth
On a bough that bears the ban;
I am burned with dread, I am dried and
dead,
From the curse of a guiltless man."
-PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR,
What sub-type of article is it?
Ballad
Elegy
What themes does it cover?
Death Mourning
Political
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Haunted Oak
Lynching
Guiltless Victim
Racial Injustice
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Moonlit Road
Prison Break
What entities or persons were involved?
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Poem Details
Title
The Haunted Oak
Author
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Subject
A Lynching Witnessed By An Oak Tree
Form / Style
Narrative Ballad In Quatrains
Key Lines
"Pray, Why Are You So Bare, So Bare,
O Bough Of The Old Oak Tree;
And Why, When I Go Through The
Shade You Throw
Runs A Shudder Over Me?"
"They'd Charged Him With The Old, Old
Crime,
And Set Him Fast In Jail:
Oh, Why Does The Dog Howl All Night Along
And Why Does The Night Wind Wail?"
"Oh, The Judge He Wore A Mask Of Black,
And The Doctor One Of White
And The Minister, With His Eldest Son,
Was Curiously Bedight."
"I Feel The Rope Against My Bark,
And The Weight Of Him In My Grain.
I Feel In The Throe Of His Final Woe
The Touch Of My Own Last Pain."
"And Nevermore Shall Leaves Come
Forth
On A Bough That Bears The Ban;
I Am Burned With Dread, I Am Dried And
Dead,
From The Curse Of A Guiltless Man."