43+ Phillis Wheatley Poems Themes

It also includes poems dealing with race such as the often-anthologized On Being Brought from Africa to America She returned to America in 1773.

Phillis wheatley poems themes. When Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley was published in 1773 it marked several significant accomplishmentsIt was the first book by a slave to be published in the Colonies and only the third book by a woman in the American colonies to be published. Around 1760 she was purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston and was in fact practically adopted by the family which owned her. The thing declares that wisdom is higher than a fool can reach and the speaker does not attempt to explore the height of this thing or to understand its profundity. More than one-third of her canon is composed of elegies poems on the deaths of noted persons friends or even strangers whose loved ones employed the poet.

On Being Brought from Africa to America is a poem written by Phillis Wheatley published in her 1773 poetry collection Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral The poem describes Wheatleys experience as a young girl who was enslaved and brought to the American colonies in 1761. In many Wheatley uses classical mythology and ancient history as allusions including many references to the muses as inspiring her poetry. Wheatley individualizes her treatment of this genre by elegizing the deaths of babies and children and by describing the grief of both parents. After the elder Wheatleys died Phillis was left to support herself as a seamstress and poet.

Many deal with pietistic Christian sentiments. The Wheatleys educated Phillis and she soon mastered Latin and Greek going on to write highly acclaimed poetry. This poem begins with an apostrophe addressing something that the speaker is trying to comprehend as a bright jewel. Phillis work was strongly influenced by the promise of life after death which made her poetry stand out.

Phillis Wheatleys seizure from Africa and forced relocation to America is also a major theme in her works. The book includes many elegies as well as poems on Christian themes. The poems that best demonstrate her abilities and are most often questioned by detractors are those that employ classical themes as well as techniques. Poet Phillis Wheatley was brought to Boston Massachusetts on a slave ship in 1761 and was purchased by John Wheatley as a personal servant to his wife.

Wheatley lays the religion on heavy in her poetry especially in On Being Brought from Africa to America Although shes far away from home the speaker h. Wheatley died Phillis was left to support. The book includes many elegies as well as poems on Christian themes. Wheatley also wrote about current political events such as the Stamp Act and was a.

Although elegies for children were not unusual at. Pagans and angels and Christians oh my. Similarly you may ask what was Phillis Wheatleys poetry about. Twenty of her fifty five surviving poems are elegies written to comfort relatives with eternal life in heaven.

Born around 1753 Phillis Wheatley was the first black poet in America to publish a book. In To the Right Honourable WILLIAM Earl of DARTMOUTH his Majestys Principal Secretary of State of North-America c Wheatley describes her kidnapping from Africa and discusses the pain her family must feel from her forced relocation. Phillis Wheatley 1753 December 5 1784 also spelled Phylis Wheatley was born in Senegal in Africa but was captured and sold into slavery at the age of 7.