Frederick Douglass

In “Frederick Douglass,” Dunbar opens the poem with a personified Ethiopia, who figures as the mother to all African descendants. In the 19th century, Ethiopia symbolized African sovereignty for African Americans, for the kingdom of Ethiopia was one of the few Christian nations to maintain its independence during Europe’s scramble to colonize Africa. She appears at the first stanza of the poem as “Ethiopia, with bosom torn” (Line 5), representing a country of people who have been torn in two at the heart with one branch in Africa and the other carried on ships to enslavement in America. She laments the passing of Frederick Douglass, “her noblest born” (Line 6), with “burning tears” (Line 7) and “a mother’s deepest love” (Line 8). In turn, Douglass loves her as a mother, championing the cause of all enslaved people when “he raised her up and whispered, ‘Hope and Trust’” (Line 12). This dynamic between Douglass and Ethiopia speaks to the unbreakable devotion found in close, blood relations as with a mother and son, and serves to characterize the unshakeable loyalty Dunbar saw in Douglass’s fight for freedom and equality for the freed and enslaved Black communities alike.

The poem returns to Ethiopia in the last stanza, and although she is not named, she rises from the dust where she was held by bondage in Line 11. Here, Dunbar emphasizes Douglass’s work in teaching his race to hope again and “seek the heights” (Line 58) as the key to their freedom. Ethiopia, now without Douglass to raise her up, rises herself “from beneath the chast’ning rod” (Line 61) and reaches out her hands to God. This compelling imagery of the African community reaching out only to God and not another master is a reference to Ezekiel 20:34, where God reaches out to a scattered race to reunite them once again. Douglass often referred to this biblical verse when speaking of reuniting the African diaspora; thus, Dunbar ties their liberation and reunion to the will of God.