During her time working as a servant for the mother of this family, it was hard for Mrs. Wheatley not to notice the natural intelligence Phillis had, and decided to educate her along with her other two children. This is ultimately what placed Wheatley far ahead of many other African Americans of the time period, as she was one of the few given the ability to both read and write and is eventually what allowed her to be the first female to have work published in American history. Writing her first poem at the age of 13, Wheatley carried poetry throughout her life often incorporating her new found religious beliefs into her writing. As she grew up with the Wheatley family, she often was surrounded by the evangelical preaching's of George Whitefield, which heavily encouraged her religious beliefs and led her to become an evangelical herself. She then used her poetry to describe to the world how her religious transformation had an effect on her life, even through a life of slavery. This is especially seen in her "Thoughts on the Works of Providence" poem, as she uses it to explain the amazement she has with the world created by…
An anonymous poet expresses "painting is poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks", this relates to the poem A Letter from Phillis Wheatley by Robert Hayden through his abstract approach of using the character Wheatley as the speaker. The role of Wheatley is vital to the poems point of view, by using Wheatley he demonstrates the view of an enslaved African American who is also is the first African American poet to be published (O’Neale). In Hayden’s technique, he uses the character Wheatley as a spokesman, this point of view places emphasis on the literature cultural and freeplay.…
Phillis Wheatley, African-American poetess, was born in Gambia, West Africa, (Now known as Senegal,) on May 8th, 1753. At age 8, she was kidnapped and enslaved. However, slave traders thought she was too young for the grueling slavery of the West Indies. She was then brought to Boston on a slave ship. She was bought by Susanna and John Wheatley and worked as a maid. She was very intelligent and was taken under Susanna's wing and, unlike most slaves, was taught to read and write. She received many classes including theology, English, Greek and Latin. At age 12, she could read many difficult passages of the Bible.…
She had written many honorable poems and famous people. But, because the Revolutionary War was still going on many people had more important things on their minds then read Phillis’ poems. According to the text,”Phillis Wheatley Biography,” she became very fond of the Continental Army’s commander George Washington. In 1775, Phillis wrote a lovely poem about George and sent it to him. On February 28, 1776, George Washington sent her letter inviting her to visit him at his headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1776, she accepted his offer and visited him. Her poem to George Washington was the first poem in honor of him. Many people believe that Phillis wrote that poem about freedom from…
Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley were two major women poets who wrote about the obstacles they had to overcome in their lives. Some obstacles these women had to overcome were being able to produce and publish acceptable work as well as gender and racial difficulties. Anne Bradstreet was the first published poet in the New World and Phillis Wheatley was an African slave. Both of these women wrote brilliant poetry that is still read today.…
In the poem she says, “Taught my benighted soul to understand...Their colour is a diabolic die." She talks a lot about how she got to be raised in a good family, she got to learn how to read and write, she got to live in safe conditions, and best of all she didn’t have to work in fields day after day. Although her time as a slave was great compared to many slaves, she still learned that African-Americans were the “diabolic die” or in other words, evil. Wheatley’s writing wasn’t necessarily intended to be used in a political way, she wrote because she wanted to, and it was the only way she could make money, but it was later used in favor of slavery. If Wheatley was here today she probably wouldn’t want it being used that…
6. Phyllis Wheatley’s poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America" explains that she feels slavery was a blessing to her because she became Christian. The second message of the poem protests people’s views of slaves by explaining what idea?…
In the poem, Upon Being Brought from Africa to America, Phyllis Wheatley expresses her gratitude for being uprooted from native land Africa to America. The poem suggestes that America, introduced Phyllis to God and helped her develop a belief system to get through troubled times. Phyllis goes on to explain that some people view the african race as inferior or with a hateful and devilish perception. However, what must be noted, especially of those who follow the christian race, is that blacks…
“Slaveship,” by Lucille Clifton, is a free verse poem from the perspective of slaves that the white men capture and trade in the slave trade, forcing them to travel on the Middle Passage. Ironically, the ships bear the names of religious symbols and figures such as Jesus, Angel of God, and Grace of God (lines 14-15) even though the act of slavery is one of the most sinful systems in the eyes of these slaves and in the eyes of all decent human beings.…
Harwood uses light and dark symbolism in a traditional Christian style; light represents god while dark represents evil. This is exemplified with the boy’s hope of using sunlight “to exorcize monsters that whispering would rise nightly”, and with Harwood’s pun on “sun” to also symbolise Christ. While in the first stanza, with the sun’s rays personified as disciples who fled; “sun’s disciples cloaked…from his passion fled” alludes to Christ’s suffering, the last stanza refers to the “resurrected sun” ending on a hopeful note, while also having an ironic quality as the boy as already lost his innocence. Personification of the sun; “wink and laugh” almost in a mockery tone ridicules the innocent humour which exist in our childhood, and positions…
narrative, Douglass accepts Christianity’s values, but he points blame to it as one of the means that keep African Americans enslaved. However, the same cannot be said about Wheatley’s view on the subject. She seems to embrace Christianity in its absolution in that she does not express even a hint of criticism towards it.…
“The challenge isn’t to read white or read black; it is to read. If Phillis Wheatley stood for anything, it was the creed that culture was, could be, the equal possession of all humanity.” In this quote Henry Gates explains that people criticizing the work of Wheatley are missing the whole point of her work. The bias critics only see a black slave who should not be writing the way she is writing. Her critics overlook the beauty and the amount that her poems inspire people of all color. Throughout Phillis Wheatley’s works she expresses herself and in doing so she writes her way to freedom and becomes the first African American to publish a book of poems in English. Henry Gates is on point when saying that Phillis Wheatley believed in the equality of all people. Wheatley shows her desire for equality by her word choices, faith, and personality.…
Hoagland's poem is rich with imagery. One of the first lines says “...drinking jet fuel with boys, getting louder and loude ”. Which is a very strong image. He also uses lines like “ the big sky river rushes overhead bearing asteroids ” or “ and then the fireflies flash dots and dashes in the grass”. He used the word grass, which is green, and green means young. The imagery Hoagland uses consists of great detail to describe his past. They also seem to describe big events in his past, and just living in the moment.…
As I analyze this poem, I get a sense of life’s challenges and how someone can overcome those who refuse to take accountability for their own actions. Considering the poem using point of view, I wonder whether it is being told from the point of view of Rudyard Kipling or not. Is “If” the story of Kipling himself? Is it an ideal he aspired to or something he attained? If he did attain it, is it something he attained and knew he attained it, or something he attained and still didn’t realize it? Perhaps the answers to some of those questions are beyond the scope of this paper, but Kipling’s life can help us understand the poem more completely. Kipling was born in Bombay, India, in 1856. He always had tales that he was writing for children, including his own children (Poetry Foundation). Sadly one of his children died at the age of eighteen, fighting the Irish Guards (Bhaskart, Rao). Kipling himself suffered bullying growing up and was often punished by his parents. This poem expresses the importance of an individual taking and accepting the responsibility for their own lives—including their mistakes—and not blaming others. The poem has two important lessons. The first is that we are all equal. Don’t put yourself above anyone else, but know that you are just as good as everyone else, so don’t let anyone else put themselves above you. The second is that you should believe in yourself, even when everyone doubts you. Don’t believe in lies people say about you—or about anyone else. Tell the truth, believe the truth, and behave truthfully, not matter what those around you do. These lessons come from the point of view of a father instructing his son; naturally, we could also look at it as coming from the point of view of any older man to any younger man—an emotional or spiritual father-son relationship—but it seems the intent of the author was clear that this poem was directed to his…
“An Hymn To The Morning” by Phillis Wheatley is criticised by its themes of love, happiness, and focusing on the future while still being happy within oneself. Phillis Wheatley was around 1753 in the country Senegal, Phillis Wheatley was brought to Boston, Massachusetts on a slave ship in 1761. John Wheatley later bought her as a slave to help out his wife with anything she needed. Additionally, Phillis Wheatley even though she was still a slave, she still enjoyed some restrictions in her life and became a part of the family. At a time when african americans were discouraged and intimidated from learning how to read and write, Phillis Wheatleys life was very different compared to others.…