The Cambridge History of African American Poetry provides an authoritative chronicle of the unifying world-building practices of community and artistry of African American poets in the United States since the arrival of Africans on these shores. It traces the evolution and cohesion of the tradition from the religious songs and written publications of enslaved poets who have come to be some of the most important figures in American literary culture. It conveys the stories of individual well-known figures in new ways and introduces less-well known writers and movements to clarify what makes African American poetry a cohesive tradition. It also presents a comprehensive and unique account of literary communities and artistic movements. Written by leading scholars in the field, The Cambridge History of African American Poetry offers an ambitious history of the full artistic range and social reach of the tradition.