Book excerpt: The first African-American author to be published in the United States, George Moses Horton was famously known as the ‘Slave Poet’. He spent most of his life enslaved in a North Carolina plantation, until Union troops reached the state in 1865. His three volumes of poetry cover a wide range of subjects in a variety of styles. Exhibiting a keen ear for rhythm and rhyme, his verses reveal a thorough understanding of human nature, exploring themes of slavery, freedom, politics, faith and love, while celebrating the rural beauty of Chatham County. Although his poetry failed to bring him freedom or profit, his enduring struggle and the beauty of his art have secured his place in the history of American literature, elevating the status of a black poet in a manner unprecedented for his time. The Delphi Poets Series offers readers the works of literature’s finest poets, with superior formatting. For the first time in history, this volume presents Horton’s complete works, with related illustrations and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Horton’s life and works * Concise introduction to Horton’s life and poetry * Images of how the books were first printed, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the poems * Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the poetry * Easily locate the poems you want to read * The complete text of the collection ‘The Naked Genius’ — one of the rarest works of Americana * Includes rare uncollected verses * Features Horton’s autobiography— discover his incredible life * Ordering of texts into chronological order and genres CONTENTS: The Life and Poetry of George Moses Horton Brief Introduction: George Moses Horton The Hope of Liberty (1829) The Poetical Works of George M. Horton (1845) The Naked Genius (1865) Uncollected Poems The Poems List of Poems in Chronological Order List of Poems in Alphabetical Order The Autobiography Life of George M. Horton