THE SONNET "VIOLETS" BY ALICE DUNBAR-NELSON: TRADITION AND SYMBOLISM

Abstract

Alice Dunbar-Nelson (1875-1935) is an African-American writer, a pioneer in several literary genres and a social activist for the civil rights of black people. Her
literary production is almost unknown in Spanish, since only one brief text by her was included in a general anthology. This essay analyses one of her most representative sonnets, also known as “Violets”, which became very popular from the moment of its publication. The author’s mastery of metric and rhythmic structures, which are connected to the English Renaissance tradition, together with a masterful mastery of the iambic pentameter and a unique symbolism, make this composition a paradigmatic example of Alice Dunbar-Nelson’s poetry.