Even as dreams are considered as the unconscious expression of conflicts and of wish fulfillments, so every artistic creation may be an expression, albeit unconscious, of some frustrated craving or an attempted solution of some insurmountable problem. As the trees are known by the fruit they bear, and flowers by their fragrance, so indeed are artists known by their creations, which reveal their souls and lay bare the uncharted regions of their emotional life.

To the casual bystander, only the fruit is of interest, while the environment is frequently overlooked or forgotten. But to those who wonder why—everything is of interest. So in this study of Paul Dunbar, our attention shall be drawn not only to the products of his genius but also to the richness of the soil from which he sprang, the sun and stars around him, and the elements in which he lived and died. The interpretation of Dunbar's works may enable us to gain insight into the complex personality which, though heavily burdened