Robert Hayden Poems

Robert Hayden was an American poet born in 1913 in Detroit. He was the first African American to be appointed as Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. A Ballad of Remembrance is one of his most important collections. It won the grand prize at the First World Festival of Negro Arts in Dakar, Senegal.

Frederick Douglass

by Robert Hayden

‘Frederick Douglass’ by Robert Hayden honors Douglass and speaks about a future in which all people, according to Douglass’ ideas of love and logic, will be treated equally without question.

Middle Passage

by Robert Hayden

‘Middle Passage’ by Robert Hayden is a narrative poem written in the 1940s. It describes the happenings of the Atlantic Slave Trade, as told from the perspective of several white narrators.

Mourning Poem for the Queen of Sunday

by Robert Hayden

‘Mourning Poem for the Queen of Sunday’ by Robert Hayden explores the death of a gospel singer who was loved by all, including God. She passed away in a surprising way that made the angels weep.

The Whipping

by Robert Hayden

Those Winter Sundays

by Robert Hayden

‘Those Winter Sundays’ by Robert Hayden is a three-stanza work where the sections vary in length, though the theme remains from start to finish.