Lays in Summer Lands

The beauty of John Willis Menard¹s poetry in Lays in Summer Lands stands out today just as it did when first published in 1879.Here, the weight of human experience and observation is transformed into lyrical delight and meaningful insights that continue to resonate generations after their creation.But, that is not all. Among the surprises that greet the reader of these poems is that their author was an African American and a Floridian who chose to offer his intimate thoughts, dreams, aspirations, and frustrations to a nation then entering the twilight years of its experience with social and political Reconstruction.The first African American elected to the United States Congress, Willis Menard turned his disappointment at rejection by his congressional peers into a fruitful career as a political advocate, public official, journalist, editor, and author. In the process, he influenced Florida¹s evolution while reaching a national and international audience.In these pages for the first time since their original publication, the poems of Lays in Summer Lands are reprinted in their entirety. Two noted historians of Florida and African American experience, Larry Eugene Rivers and Canter Brown Jr., have related Menard¹s story and examined the importance of poetry to his world, while award-winning literature professor Richard Mathews has contributed an intriguing essay on the profound depth and implications of the poet¹s work.Delight in these beautiful poems as you cast yourself back well over a century. At the same time, thrill to the enjoyment and insight they bring today.