| James Weldon Johnson, ed. (1871–1938). The Book of American Negro Poetry. 1922. |
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| The Dawn’s Awake! |
| | | Otto Leland Bohanan |
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| THE DAWN’S awake! | |
| A flash of smoldering flame and fire | |
| Ignites the East. Then, higher, higher, | |
| O’er all the sky so gray, forlorn, | |
| The torch of gold is borne. | 5 |
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| The Dawn’s awake! | |
| The dawn of a thousand dreams and thrills. | |
| And music singing in the hills | |
| A pæan of eternal spring | |
| Voices the new awakening. | 10 |
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| The Dawn’s awake! | |
| Whispers of pent-up harmonies, | |
| With the mingled fragrance of the trees; | |
| Faint snatches of half-forgotten song— | |
| Fathers! torn and numb,— | 15 |
| The boon of light we craved, awaited long, | |
| Has come, has come! | |
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