▁that ▁go ▁beyond ▁what ▁So y ink a ▁calls ▁the ▁" custom ary ▁settings " ▁of ▁other ▁ways ▁of ▁organ izing ▁such ▁as ▁" reg ions , ▁period , ▁style , ▁[ and ] ▁author ship ." ▁So y ink a ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁this ▁anth ology ▁was ▁to ▁put ▁together ▁po ems ▁that ▁en velop ▁the ▁reality ▁and ▁sense ▁of ▁black ▁Africa , ▁both ▁" mod ern ▁and ▁historic ," ▁through ▁po etic ▁expression . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁Re ception ▁ ▁Po ems ▁of ▁Black ▁Africa ▁was ▁well ▁received ▁by ▁Urs ula ▁A . ▁Bar nett ▁declaring ▁it ▁a ▁successful ▁anth ology , ▁although ▁it ▁is ▁acknowled ged ▁the ▁work ▁focus es ▁on ▁quality ▁rather ▁than ▁compreh ens iveness , ▁despite ▁being ▁described ▁as ▁en comp ass ing ▁“ most ▁of ▁the ▁experience ▁of ▁the ▁African ▁world .” ▁ ▁She ▁notes ▁in ▁her ▁review ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁works ▁included ▁were ▁written ▁by ▁African ▁states men . ▁According ▁to ▁Bar nett ▁the ▁works ▁vary ▁from ▁expressions ▁of ▁passion , ▁pain , ▁beauty , ▁bet ray al , ▁nost alg ia , ▁revolution ary ▁fer vor , ▁death , ▁wit , ▁humor ▁and ▁sat ire . ▁The ▁works ▁represent ▁traditional ▁writ ings ▁from ▁a ▁wide ▁array ▁of ▁groups ▁including ▁the ▁Sw ah ili , ▁Y or uba , ▁Z ulu ▁and ▁other ▁sources , ▁including ▁seven ▁original ▁po ems ▁from ▁So y ink a ▁himself . ▁Bar nett ' s ▁review ▁first ▁appeared ▁in ▁World ▁Liter ature ▁Today , ▁Vol . ▁