William Waring Cuney
William Waring Cuney was an American poet and musician, born on May 6, 1906, in Washington, D.C. He was raised in a middle-class household, attending public schools before graduating from Lincoln University and pursuing further studies in music at the New England Conservatory and in Rome. While Cuney initially focused on a singing career, he soon realized that his true passion lay in poetry, where he effectively blended elements of music, rhythm, and blues to create impactful verses. His most notable poem, "No Images," captures profound social themes and showcases his adeptness at conveying powerful messages succinctly.
Cuney was also involved in significant cultural initiatives, working as a researcher for the Works Progress Administration documenting African American history in New York City and serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. His collaboration with singer Josh White resulted in one of the early collections of protest songs, addressing themes of social injustice. Although sometimes categorized as a minor poet of the Harlem Renaissance, Cuney was highly regarded by his peers and had a lasting influence on literary circles. He published his first collection, "Puzzles," in 1960, followed by "Storefront Church" in 1973, before passing away on June 30, 1976. Cuney’s work remains a testament to the rich heritage and struggles of African American communities.
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Subject Terms
William Waring Cuney
Poet
- Born: May 6, 1906
- Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
- Died: June 30, 1976
Biography
William Waring Cuney and his twin brother, Norris Wright Cuney, were born on May 6, 1906, to Norris Wright Cuney II, a federal government employee, and Madge Louise Baker, a schoolteacher, in Washington, D.C. Products of a long line of mixed marriages, the boys grew up in a solidly middle-class environment and attended public schools. William then attended Howard University, graduating from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, and continuing studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and at the Conservatory in Rome.
Though Cuney concentrated on music, specializing in voice, he knew early on that he would never have a satisfying career in singing. Instead, he incorporated the sound, general rhythm and beat, and his appreciation of blues and ballads into poetry. Cuney’s writing style was well suited to verse and song. He created quick portraits of people and brief glimpses of situations in terse prose. His most widely anthologized poem, “No Images,” written when he was eighteen, shared first and second prizes in an Opportunity magazine literary contest in 1926. Its lines beautifully exemplify his skill in conveying his message quickly and powerfully. It reads:
She does not know
It was probably in 1925 that Cuney met Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes. Cuney was on a D.C. subway train reading a newspaper article on Hughes and recognized the man sitting across from him as the person in the featured picture. They began a conversation that resulted in the two forming a close, long-term, friendship.
In the 1930’s, Cuney was a researcher for the federal government’s Works Progress Administration (later known as the Works Projects Administration, WPA) as part of its Federal Writers’ Project (FWP) documenting New York City’s black history. During World War II, he served in the United States Army, winning the Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon and three Bronze Stars.
In 1942, he collaborated with famed gospel, blues, and folk singer Josh White in the latter’s well-received album, Southern Exposure. White worked Cuney’s lyrics into his own vocal arrangements, and together they produced one of the earliest collections of protest songs, exposing the abuse of power by labor bosses, segregation in the defense industry, and discrimination against blacks in the military. Ironically, Cuney was still in the Army when White was called upon to entertain President Franklin D. Roosevelt with selections from the album.
Cuney has sometimes been called a minor poet of the Harlem Renaissance, or a second-tier poet of the New Negro movement, but to his contemporaries, he was always of the first order, much quoted, much loved, always influential. His works were read widely, though they did not appear in collections until late in his career. His first work, Puzzles, was published in the Netherlands in 1960.
Cuney disappeared from public attention from 1962 to 1967, cutting off connections with the black literary community. He then emerged and published his second collection of poetry, Storefront Church, in 1973. He died three years later on June 30, 1976. His is the voice of the ghetto intoned in an affirmation of a proud heritage.