Runagate Runagate
‘‘Runagate Runagate’’ is a poem by American
poet Robert Hayden. It was first published in
The Poetry of the Negro, edited by Langston
Hughes and Arna Bontemps, in 1949. Hayden
later revised the poem, and in its final version it
appeared in hisSelected Poemsin 1966 and was
reprinted in hisCollected Poemsin 1985.
Set in the American South in the 1850s,
‘‘Runagate Runagate’’ is about the escape of Afri-
can Americans, via the Underground Railroad,
from slavery to freedom in the North. The poem
is a celebration of freedom, a tribute to the deter-
mination of slaves to brave the many perils of
their long journey, in which they were pursued
by slave catchers with their dogs. In particular,
‘‘Runagate Runagate’’ is a tribute to Harriet Tub-
man, one of the great African American leaders
of that time who not only escaped from slavery
herself but helped hundreds of other slaves to do
the same.
The poem is notable for the variety of voices
and points of view that Hayden incorporates,
including slaves, slave owners, and slave catchers.
He includes quotations from and allusions to
Negro spirituals and to contemporary documents,
such as newspaper advertisements calling for the
return of runaway slaves and wanted posters.
One of Hayden’s most popular poems, ‘‘Run-
agate Runagate’’ is among several he wrote on
historical themes concerning the experience of
African Americans during the period of slavery.
231ROBERT HAYDEN
1966