Hayden's WayRobert Hayden was a man who worked with what he had instead of dreaming about what he didn't have. Pursuing what he loves to do even when people put him down or don't recognize him. Being an African American poet was not easy during Hayden's lifetime, having been born in 1913, integration was not something people were excited about. After some difficult times and hard work, he was able to prove himself to the poetry community: “Robert Hayden is now generally recognized as the most notable artisan of African-American poetry” (Glaysher). This was not an easy task for him to accomplish, his work being quite rare and having as its common subject the history and difficulties of African Americans. But Hayden didn't want to be known as an African-American poet, he wanted to be known as a poet in general, without labels. He was talented and he didn't want his race to stop him from getting to where he wanted to be. Robert Earl Hayden was a man who experienced hardships throughout his life, just like any other man in the world. Born in 1913, he grew up writing in the era of modernism; With the unique writing style his poetry possesses, there is no doubt about the era his works fall into. Hayden focuses on African American influences in his work and things related to their difficult past and future. When Hayden wrote his poems, he did so in a way unlike any other poet of his time. During the era of modernism, experimenting with various things was a common thing. Poets wanted to be known for their unique style and way of writing, thus giving themselves an advantage over other poets, in order to stand out. This is what the era of modernism was about, poets giving more of themselves to their work. Robert Hayden wrote most...... middle of article ......r's Sons, 1995. Reprinted in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2010. “Robert Hayden.” Pearson Education. February 20, 2010. Hayden, Robert. “The whip.” Famous poets and poems. February 17, 2010. Jones, Norma R. “Robert E(arl) Hayden.” African American writers, 1940-1955. Ed. Trudier Harris-Lopez. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 76. Literary Resource Center. Internet. February 19, 2010. .Sanders, Mark. "About Hayden's Life and Career". Oxford University Press. FEBRUARY 18, 2010 .