Countee Cullen

Date of Birth: May 30, 1903

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Date of Death: January 9, 1946

Biography

Countee Cullen, born Countee Porter, was an illustrious American poet, novelist, and playwright, best known for his significant contributions to the Harlem Renaissance. He was born on May 30, 1903, in Louisville, Kentucky, but was raised in New York City by Reverend Frederick A. Cullen and his wife, who adopted him. Cullen excelled academically, graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1922 and later from New York University in 1925. He continued his studies at Harvard University, earning a Master’s degree in English in 1926. Cullen’s first collection of poems, “Color” (1925), established him as a leading literary figure of the Harlem Renaissance. His work often addressed themes of race, identity, and the African American experience, yet he also sought to transcend racial boundaries by exploring universal human concerns. Other notable works include “Copper Sun” (1927), “The Ballad of the Brown Girl” (1927), and the novel “One Way to Heaven” (1932). Apart from his writing, Cullen was an educator, teaching at Frederick Douglass Junior High School in New York City. He married Yolande Du Bois, the daughter of W.E.B. Du Bois, in 1928, though the marriage ended in divorce in 1930. Cullen later married Ida Mae Roberson in 1940. His life was cut short when he died on January 9, 1946, at the age of 42.

5 Interesting Facts about Countee Cullen

1. Cullen was raised by Reverend Frederick A. Cullen, a prominent Methodist minister, after being abandoned by his biological parents.

2. He was the first African American to win the prestigious Witter Bynner Undergraduate Poetry Prize.

3. Cullen’s marriage to Yolande Du Bois was considered one of the social events of the year and was attended by many prominent figures of the Harlem Renaissance.

4. He was heavily influenced by the works of John Keats and Edna St. Vincent Millay.

5. Cullen’s poem “Yet Do I Marvel” is one of his most famous works, reflecting on the paradox of a just God and the suffering of Black people.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Countee Cullen

1. “Yet do I marvel at this curious thing: To make a poet black, and bid him sing!”

2. “If I am going to be a poet at all, I am going to be POET and not NEGRO POET.”

3. “There is no secret to success except hard work and getting along with people.”

4. “My poetry, I think, has become the way of my giving out what music is within me.”

5. “I have always believed that what is done in love is well done.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Countee Cullen did not achieve significant financial wealth during his lifetime. His net worth at the time of his death is not well-documented but is estimated to have been modest, reflecting the financial challenges faced by many African American artists of his era.