Paul Laurence Dunbar was a poet of African descent. Dunbar was one of the first renowned African-American poets of his day, well remembered for his use of an unorthodox rhyme system in "We Wear the Mask," which deviated from traditional poetry. His work appeared in publications including The New York Tribune and The Journal of Commerce. Born in 1872 in Baltimore, Maryland, Dunbar grew up there and in Lexington, Kentucky. He obtained a teaching license but never taught school. Instead, he worked as a reporter and editor for newspapers in Baltimore and Louisville, Kentucky. In 1893, he moved to New York City where he became associated with several important black journals of the time. He also met with considerable success as a poet. Dunbar's work was so popular that it sold out many editions of its own release. In 1904, Dunbar published his first collection of poems, called simply Poems. This book is considered by many to be the birth of modern American poetry. In it, Dunbar introduced a number of poetic techniques that are still used today such as allusion, metaphor, and personification. He also coined the term "blackface minstrelsy" to describe the racist stereotyping of blacks in entertainment during this period. In 1918, Dunbar died at the age of 36 after suffering from tuberculosis for several years.