Figures of speech are literary devices that are also used throughout our society and help relay important ideas in a meaningful way. Wheatley goes on to say that when she was in Africa, she knew neither about the existence of God nor the need of a savior. Thomas Jefferson's scorn (reported by Robinson), however, famously articulates the common low opinion of African capability: "Religion, indeed, has produced a Phillis Whately, but it could not produce a poet. She ends the poem by saying that all people, regardless of race, are able to be saved and make it to Heaven. In the meanwhile, until you change your minds, enjoy the firefight! Wheatley's verse generally reveals this conscious concern with poetic grace, particularly in terms of certain eighteenth-century models (Davis; Scruggs). By making religion a matter between God and the individual soul, an Evangelical belief, she removes the discussion from social opinion or reference. Wheatley wrote in neoclassical couplets of iambic pentameter, following the example of the most popular English poet of the times, Alexander Pope. They can join th angelic train. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. An online version of Wheatley's poetry collection, including "On Being Brought from Africa to America.". First, the reader can imagine how it feels to hear a comment like that. In the following essay, Scheick argues that in "On Being Brought from Africa to America," Wheatleyrelies on biblical allusions to erase the difference between the races. Abolitionists like Rush used Wheatley as proof for the argument of black humanity, an issue then debated by philosophers. Most descriptions tell what the literary elements do to enhance the story. Providing a comprehensive and inspiring perspective in The Trials of Phillis Wheatley: America's First Black Poet and Her Encounters with the Founding Fathers, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., remarks on the irony that "Wheatley, having been pain-stakingly authenticated in her own time, now stands as a symbol of falsity, artificiality, of spiritless and rote convention." This strategy is also evident in her use of the word benighted to describe the state of her soul (2). answer not listed. The use of th and refind rather than the and refined in this line is an example of syncope. The speaker, a slave brought from Africa to America by whites magnifies the discrepancy between the whites' perception of blacks and the reality of the situation. (Born Thelma Lucille Sayles) American poet, autobiographer, and author of children's books. The last two lines refer to the equality inherent in Christian doctrine in regard to salvation, for Christ accepted everyone. The darker races are looked down upon. 1, 2002, pp. We respond to all comments too, giving you the answers you need. The way the content is organized. Eleanor Smith, in her 1974 article in the Journal of Negro Education, pronounces Wheatley too white in her values to be of any use to black people. This has been a typical reading, especially since the advent of African American criticism and postcolonial criticism. Erkkila, Betsy, "Phillis Wheatley and the Black American Revolution," in A Mixed Race: Ethnicity in Early America, edited by Frank Shuffelton, Oxford University Press, 1993, pp. ." Trauma dumping, digital nomad, nearlywed, petfluencer and antifragile. She wants to inform her readers of the opposite factand yet the wording of her confession of faith became proof to later readers that she had sold out, like an Uncle Tom, to her captors' religious propaganda. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land. The inclusion of the white prejudice in the poem is very effective, for it creates two effects. Daniel Garrett's appreciation of the contributions of African American women artists includes a study of Cicely Tyson, Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, and Regina King. In the first four lines, the tone is calm and grateful, with the speaker saying that her soul is "benighted" and mentioning "redemption" and the existence of a "Saviour." In the first lines of On Being Brought from Africa to America, Wheatley states that it was mercy that brought her to America from her Pagan land, Africa. While ostensibly about the fate of those black Christians who see the light and are saved, the final line in "On Being Brought From Africa to America" is also a reminder to the members of her audience about their own fate should they choose unwisely. 18 On being brought from AFRICA to AMERICA. That this self-validating woman was a black slave makes this confiscation of ministerial role even more singular. 233 Words1 Page. The multiple meanings of the line "Remember, Christians, Negroes black as Cain" (7), with its ambiguous punctuation and double entendres, have become a critical commonplace in analyses of the poem. This poem is a real-life account of Wheatleys experiences. The rest of the poem is assertive and reminds her readers (who are mostly white people) that all humans are equal and capable of joining "th' angelic train." Look at the poems and letters of Phillis Wheatley, and find evidence of her two voices, African and American. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Won Pulitzer Prize The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. SOURCES "On Being Brought from Africa to America" finally changes from a meditation to a sermon when Wheatley addresses an audience in her exhortation in the last two lines. There is a good example of an allusion in the last lines when the poet refers to Cain. Conducted Reading Tour of the South assessments in his edited volume Critical Essays on Phillis Wheatley. As did "To the University of Cambridge," this poem begins with the sentiment that the speaker's removal from Africa was an act of "mercy," but in this context it becomes Wheatley's version of the "fortunate fall"; the speaker's removal to the colonies, despite the circumstances, is perceived as a blessing. Wheatley's first name, Phillis, comes from the name of the ship that brought her to America. 2, Summer 1993, pp. On Being Brought from Africa to America. At this point, the poem displaces its biblical legitimation by drawing attention to its own achievement, as inherent testimony to its argument. Wheatleys most prominent themes in this piece are religion, freedom, and equality. Many of her elegies meditate on the soul in heaven, as she does briefly here in line 8. POETRY POSSIBILITES for BLACK HISTORY MONTH is a collection of poems about notable African Americans and the history of Blacks in America. This phrase can be read as Wheatley's effort to have her privileged white audience understand for just a moment what it is like to be singled out as "diabolic." How do her concerns differ or converge with other black authors? Wheatley, however, applies the doctrine of salvation in an unusual way for most of her readers; she broadens it into a political or sociological discussion as well. Albeit grammatically correct, this comma creates a trace of syntactic ambiguity that quietly instates both Christians and Negroes as the mutual offspring of Cain who are subject to refinement by divine grace. al. One of Wheatley's better known pieces of poetry is "On being brought from Africa to America.". From the 1770s, when Phillis Wheatley first began to publish her poems, until the present day, criticism has been heated over whether she was a genius or an imitator, a cultural heroine or a pathetic victim, a woman of letters or an item of curiosity. Lastly, the speaker reminds her audience, mostly consisting of white people, that Black people can be Christian people, too. Neoclassical was a term applied to eighteenth-century literature of the Enlightenment, or Age of Reason, in Europe. In fact, the Wheatleys introduced Phillis to their circle of Evangelical antislavery friends. Further, because the membership of the "some" is not specified (aside from their common attitude), the audience is not automatically classified as belonging with them. Carretta and Gould note the problems of being a literate black in the eighteenth century, having more than one culture or language. Endnotes. China has ceased binding their feet. 121-35. This question was discussed by the Founding Fathers and the first American citizens as well as by people in Europe. Began Writing at an Early Age As such, though she inherited the Puritan sense of original sin and resignation in death, she focuses on the element of comfort for the bereaved. For instance, the use of the word sable to describe the skin color of her race imparts a suggestion of rarity and richness that also makes affiliation with the group of which she is a part something to be desired and even sought after. In 1773, Poems of Various Subjects, Religious and Moral appeared. It was dedicated to the Countess of Huntingdon, a known abolitionist, and it made Phillis a sensation all over Europe. Her slave masters encouraged her to read and write. "On Being Brought from Africa to America Her praise of these people and what they stood for was printed in the newspapers, making her voice part of the public forum in America. There was no precedent for it. How is it that she was saved? "Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train. She describes those Christian people with African heritage as being "refin'd" and that they will "join th' angelic train.". Crowds came to hear him speak, crowds erotically charged, the masses he once called his only bride. HISTORICAL CONTEXT by Phillis Wheatley. 18, 33, 71, 82, 89-90. Levernier considers Wheatley predominantly in view of her unique position as a black poet in Revolutionary white America. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem. Like many Christian poets before her, Wheatley's poem also conducts its religious argument through its aesthetic attainment. Illustrated Works Wheatley perhaps included the reference to Cain for dramatic effect, to lead into the Christian doctrine of forgiveness, emphasized in line 8. Therein, she implores him to right America's wrongs and be a just administrator. She was baptized a Christian and began publishing her own poetry in her early teens. Additional information about Wheatley's life, upbringing, and education, including resources for further research. In short, both races share a common heritage of Cain-like barbaric and criminal blackness, a "benighted soul," to which the poet refers in the second line of her poem. To the extent that the audience responds affirmatively to the statements and situations Wheatley has set forth in the poem, that is the extent to which they are authorized to use the classification "Christian." Her collection Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was published in 1773. Text is very difficult to understand. An example is the precedent of General Colin Powell, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War (a post equal to Washington's during the Revolution). 2002 4, 1974, p. 95. Anne Bradstreet Poems, Biography & Facts | Who is Anne Bradstreet? Cain - son of Adam and Eve, who murdered his brother Abel through jealousy. One result is that, from the outset, Wheatley allows the audience to be positioned in the role of benefactor as opposed to oppressor, creating an avenue for the ideological reversal the poem enacts. In "Letters to Birmingham," Martin Luther King uses figurative language and literary devices to show his distress and disappointment with a group of clergyman who do not support the peaceful protests for equality. . As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 As the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry, Wheatley uses this poem to argue that all people, regardless of race, are capable of finding salvation through Christianity. Although she was an enslaved person, Phillis Wheatley Peters was one of the best-known poets in pre-19th century America. By being a voice for those who can not speak for . He deserted Phillis after their third child was born. This allusion to Isaiah authorizes the sort of artistic play on words and on syntax we have noted in her poem. 1, edited by Nina Baym, Norton, 1998, p. 825. In the South, masters frequently forbade slaves to learn to read or gather in groups to worship or convert other slaves, as literacy and Christianity were potent equalizing forces. Even before the Revolution, black slaves in Massachusetts were making legal petitions for their freedom on the basis of their natural rights. On the other hand, Gilbert Imlay, a writer and diplomat, disagreed with Jefferson, holding Wheatley's genius to be superior to Jefferson's. Spelling is very inaccurate and hinders full understanding. Levernier, James, "Style as Process in the Poetry of Phillis Wheatley," in Style, Vol. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. , Nevertheless, Wheatley was a legitimate woman of learning and letters who consciously participated in the public discussion of the day, in a voice representing the living truth of what America claimed it stood forwhether or not the slave-owning citizens were prepared to accept it. Phillis Wheatley read quite a lot of classical literature, mostly in translation (such as Pope's translations of Homer), but she also read some Latin herself. While she had Loyalist friends and British patrons, Wheatley sympathized with the rebels, not only because her owners were of that persuasion, but also because many slaves believed that they would gain their freedom with the cause of the Revolution. 814 Words. Rigsby, Gregory, "Form and Content in Phillis Wheatley's Elegies," in College Language Association Journal, Vol. Phillis Wheatley's poem "On Being Brought from Africa to America" appeared in her 1773 volume Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, the first full-length published work by an African American author. Slave, poet That is, she applies the doctrine to the black race. The "authentic" Christian is the one who "gets" the puns and double entendres and ironies, the one who is able to participate fully in Wheatley's rhetorical performance. Arthur P. Davis, writing in Critical Essays on Phillis Wheatley, comments that far from avoiding her black identity, Wheatley uses that identity to advantage in her poems and letters through "racial underscoring," often referring to herself as an "Ethiop" or "Afric." They signed their names to a document, and on that basis Wheatley was able to publish in London, though not in Boston. It has a steady rhythm, the classic iambic pentameter of five beats per line giving it a traditional pace when reading: Twas mer / cy brought / me from / my Pag / an land, Taught my / benight / ed soul / to und / erstand. In fact, all three readings operate simultaneously to support Wheatley's argument. These lines can be read to say that ChristiansWheatley uses the term Christians to refer to the white raceshould remember that the black race is also a recipient of spiritual refinement; but these same lines can also be read to suggest that Christians should remember that in a spiritual sense both white and black people are the sin-darkened descendants of Cain. Almost immediately after her arrival in America, she was sold to the Wheatley family of Boston, Massachusetts. The masters, on the other hand, claimed that the Bible recorded and condoned the practice of slavery. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Also supplied are tailor-made skill lessons, activities, and poetry writing prompts; the . There was a shallop floating on the Wye, among the gray rocks and leafy woods of Chepstow. 27, No. Wheatley was then abducted by slave traders and brought to America in 1761. She was intended to be a personal servant to the wife of John Wheatley. As the first African American woman . The enslavement of Africans in the American colonies grew steadily from the early seventeenth century until by 1860 there were about four million slaves in the United States. Here Wheatley seems to agree with the point of view of her captors that Africa is pagan and ignorant of truth and that she was better off leaving there (though in a poem to the Earl of Dartmouth she laments that she was abducted from her sorrowing parents). The reversal of inside and outside, black and white has further significance because the unredeemed have also become the enslaved, although they are slaves to sin rather than to an earthly master. May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train. Ironically, this authorization occurs through the agency of a black female slave. Most of the slaves were held on the southern plantations, but blacks were house servants in the North, and most wealthy families were expected to have them. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. for the Use of Schools. Additional information about Wheatley's life, upbringing, and education, including resources for further research. She wrote them for people she knew and for prominent figures, such as for George Whitefield, the Methodist minister, the elegy that made her famous. Walker, Alice, "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens: Honoring the Creativity of the Black Woman," in Jackson State Review, Vol. Educated and enslaved in the household of prominent Boston commercialist John Wheatley, lionized in New England and England, with presses in both places publishing her poems,. In this book was the poem that is now taught in schools and colleges all over the world, a fitting tribute to the first-ever black female poet in America. She believes that her discovery of God, after being forcibly enslaved in America, was the best thing that couldve happened to her. 61, 1974, pp. This is why she can never love tyranny. On the page this poem appears as a simple eight-line poem, but when taking a closer look, it is seen that Wheatley has been very deliberate and careful. Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. HISTORY of the CHRISTIAN CHURCH 1 1 Schaff, Philip, History of the Christian Church, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1997. . However, the date of retrieval is often important. As Wheatley pertinently wrote in "On Imagination" (1773), which similarly mingles religious and aesthetic refinements, she aimed to embody "blooming graces" in the "triumph of [her] song" (Mason 78). His art moved from figurative abstraction to nonrepresentational multiform grids of glowing, layered colors (Figure 15). Wheatley's shift from first to third person in the first and second stanzas is part of this approach. Phillis Wheatley was an internationally known American poet of the late 18th century. Why, then, does she seem to destroy her argument and admit that the African race is black like Cain, the first murderer in the Bible? The speaker makes a claim, an observation, implying that black people are seen as no better than animals - a sable - to be treated as merchandise and nothing more. No one is excluded from the Savior's tender mercynot the worst people whites can think ofnot Cain, not blacks. (including. But the women are on the march. The poem consists of: A single stanza of eight lines, with full rhyme and classic iambic pentameter beat, it basically says that black people can become Christian believers and in this respect are just the same as everyone else. She is grateful for being made a slave, so she can receive the dubious benefits of the civilization into which she has been transplanted. . 2, December 1975, pp. Alliteration is a common and useful device that helps to increase the rhythm of the poem. She has master's degrees in French and in creative writing. Mistakes do not get in the way of understanding. al. Some of the best include: Sign up to unveil the best kept secrets in poetry, Home Phillis Wheatley On Being Brought from Africa to America. Africa, the physical continent, cannot be pagan. "On Being Brought from Africa to America The last four lines take a surprising turn; suddenly, the reader is made to think. She also means the aesthetic refinement that likewise (evidently in her mind at least) may accompany spiritual refinement. This latter point refutes the notion, held by many of Wheatley's contemporaries, that Cain, marked by God, is the progenitor of the black race only. To the University of Cambridge, in New England. , "On Being Brought from Africa to America," in The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Vol. Erin Marsh has a bachelor's degree in English from the College of Saint Benedict and an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University's Low Residency program. Do you think that the judgment in the 1970s by black educators that Wheatley does not teach values that are good for African American students has merit today? Some readers, looking for protests against slavery in her work, have been disenchanted upon instead finding poems like "On Being Brought from Africa to America" to reveal a meek acceptance of her slave fate. An allusion is an indirect reference to, including but not limited to, an idea, event, or person. 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' is a poem by Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753-84), who was the first African-American woman to publish a book of poetry: Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral appeared in 1773 when she was probably still in her early twenties. The speaker has learned of God, become enlightened, is aware of the life of Christ on Earth, and is now saved, having previously no knowledge or need of the redemption of the soul. Conditions on board some of the slave ships are known to have been horrendous; many died from illness; many were drowned. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1699 titles we cover. She traveled to London in 1773 (with the Wheatley's son) in order to publish her book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral West Africa Spelling and grammar is mostly accurate. The line leads the reader to reflect that Wheatley was not as naive, or as shielded from prejudice, as some have thought. Remember, This simple and consistent pattern makes sense for Wheatley's straightforward message. Personification. 49, 52. An error occurred trying to load this video. The poem was published in 1773 when it was included in her book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. This idea sums up a gratitude whites might have expected, or demanded, from a Christian slave. "The Privileged and Impoverished Life of Phillis Wheatley" 215-33. "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is a statement of pride and comfort in who she is, though she gives the credit to God for the blessing. Soft purl the streams, the birds renew their notes, And through the air their mingled music floats. Line 3 further explains what coming into the light means: knowing God and Savior. both answers. It is organized into four couplets, which are two rhymed lines of verse. "On Being Brought From Africa to America" is an unusual poem. The material has been carefully compared Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. The Wheatley home was not far from Revolutionary scenes such as the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain. This poem also uses imperative language, which is language used to command or to tell another character or the reader what to do. The final and highly ironic demonstration of otherness, of course, would be one's failure to understand the very poem that enacts this strategy. Jefferson, a Founding Father and thinker of the new Republic, felt that blacks were too inferior to be citizens. Phillis Wheatley Poems & Facts | What Was Phillis Wheatley Known For? Shields, John C., "Phillis Wheatley and the Sublime," in Critical Essays on Phillis Wheatley, edited by William H. Robinson, G. K. Hall, 1982, pp. For instance, in lines 7 and 8, Wheatley rhymes "Cain" and "angelic train." This poetic demonstration of refinement, of "blooming graces" in both a spiritual and a cultural sense, is the "triumph in [her] song" entitled "On Being Brought from Africa to America.". The justification was given that the participants in a republican government must possess the faculty of reason, and it was widely believed that Africans were not fully human or in possession of adequate reason. 135-40. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. 23, No. An overview of Wheatley's life and work. The prosperous Wheatley family of Boston had several slaves, but the poet was treated from the beginning as a companion to the family and above the other servants. Such a person did not fit any known stereotype or category. Religion was the main interest of Wheatley's life, inseparable from her poetry and its themes. One of the first things a reader will notice about this poem is the rhyme scheme, which is AABBCCDD. Robinson, William H., Phillis Wheatley and Her Writings, Garland, 1984, pp. 30 seconds. 253 Words2 Pages. the colonies have tried every means possible to avoid war. She had been publishing poems and letters in American newspapers on both religious matters and current topics. By tapping into the common humanity that lies at the heart of Christian doctrine, Wheatley poses a gentle but powerful challenge to racism in America. by Phillis Wheatley. The poet needs some extrinsic warrant for making this point in the artistic maneuvers of her verse. Though a slave when the book was published in England, she was set free based on its success. On the other hand, by bringing up Cain, she confronts the popular European idea that the black race sprang from Cain, who murdered his brother Abel and was punished by having a mark put on him as an outcast. Richard Abcarian (PhD, University of California, Berkeley) is a professor of English emeritus at California State University, Northridge, where he taught for thirty-seven years. This is all due to the fact that she was able to learn about God and Christianity. It also talks about how they were looked at differently because of the difference in the color of their skin. Parks, writing in Black World that same year, describes a Mississippi poetry festival where Wheatley's poetry was read in a way that made her "Blacker." These miracles continue still with Phillis's figurative children, black . According to Merriam-Webster, benighted has two definitions. William Robinson provides the diverse early. She was born in West Africa circa 1753, and thus she was only a few years younger than James Madison. Redemption and Salvation: The speaker states that had she not been taken from her homeland and brought to America, she would never have known that there was a God and that she needed saving. Mr. George Whitefield . By Phillis Wheatley. Nevertheless, in her association of spiritual and aesthetic refinement, she also participates in an extensive tradition of religious poets, like George Herbert and Edward Taylor, who fantasized about the correspondence between their spiritual reconstruction and the aesthetic grace of their poetry. All the end rhymes are full. Today: African Americans are educated and hold political office, even becoming serious contenders for the office of president of the United States.

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