Fenton Johnson

Fenton Johnson (1888–1958) was an American poet from Chicago associated with the early Harlem Renaissance. His poetry is known for its modern, free-verse style and critical portrayal of African American urban life. Biographie ↓Plus ↓

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Fenton Johnson

The Scarlet Woman

Once I was good like the Virgin Mary and the Minister's wife. My father worked for Mr. Pullman and white people's tips; but he died two days after his insurance expired. I had nothing, so I had to go to work. All the stock I had was a white girl's education and a face that enchanted the men of both races. Starvation danced with me. So when Big Lizzie, who kept a house for white men, came to me with tales of fortune that I could reap from the sale of my virtue I bowed my head to Vice. Now I can drink more gin than any man for miles around. Gin is better than all the water in Lethe.

Biographie

Fenton Johnson (1888–1958) was an American poet, essayist, and playwright born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended the University of Chicago and later Northwestern University. Johnson published several poetry collections, including A Little Dreaming (1913), Visions of the Dusk (1915), and Songs of the Soil (1916). His work anticipated the Harlem Renaissance with its use of free verse and its focus on the experiences of Black Americans in urban settings. Johnson's poetry often explores themes of weariness, disillusionment, and social injustice, as seen in his well-known poem 'Tired.' He is regarded as a significant forerunner of the New Negro movement in literature.

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