Part 2: "The Heart of a Woman"

Now for the Lady's Perspective . . .

Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880 - 1966) was an American poet and a member of the Harlem Renaissance.  Johnson was born in Atlanta to Laura Douglas and George Camp. Her mother was of African and Native American descent, and her father was of African-American and English heritage.

Johnson graduated from Atlanta University's Normal School in 1896. On September 28, 1903, Johnson married Henry Lincoln Johnson, an Atlanta lawyer and prominent Republican party member. Johnson's husband accepted an appointment as the Recorder of Deeds from United States President William Howard Taft, and the family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1910.[2] It was during this period that Johnson began to write poems and stories. Johnson credits a poem written by William Stanley Braithwaite about a rose tended by a child, as her inspiration for her poems.

She began to submit her poems to newspapers and small magazines. She published her first poem in 1916 when she was thirty-six. She published four volumes of poetry, beginning in 1918 with The Heart of a Woman. Johnson also wrote songs, taught music, and performed as an organist at her Congregational church.

It is interesting to note that this poem inspired contemporary poet Maya Angelou, and her book of the same name takes its inspiration from Johnson's work.

The Heart of a Woman by Georgia Douglas Johnson

Recording (c) 2012 by Judith Cullen

NOT for Commercial Use

Note: Pardon the blonde in the art, but the style and vibrancy of the color reminded me of the Harlem Renaissance, and that's why I chose it.

Part 1: "The Heart of a Woman"

In the midst of research I found two poems entitled The Heart of a Woman written by two poets both roughly writing at the same time on two different continents.  One a man who was the driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival, and the other a woman who was part of the Harlem Renaissance.  An Irishman, and an American.  Both poems are short, and I found the differences in perspective intriguing on a subject so legendarily chimerical.  So I recorded both.   Check back for the next post to get the other view.

For the Male Perspective . . .

William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939) An Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms. Yeats was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and, along with Lady Gregory, Edward Martyn, and others, founded the Abbey Theatre, where he served as its chief during its early years. In 1923 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature as the first Irishman so honoured for what the Nobel Committee described as "inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." Yeats is generally considered one of the few writers who completed their greatest works after being awarded the Nobel Prize; such works include The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929).

The Heart of a Woman by William Butler Yeats (Poem)

Recording (c) 2012 by Judith Cullen

NOT for Commercial Use