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Phillis Wheatley

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Title: Phillis Wheatley


1
Phillis Wheatley
  • Americas First African American Poet

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Phillis Wheatley
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Phillis Wheatley
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Phillis Wheatley
  • Phillis Wheatley was born in Africa (probably
    Senegal) about 1753 or 1754.
  • When she was about eight years old, she was
    kidnapped and brought to Boston where she landed
    July 11, 1761.
  • There John Wheatley bought her for his wife,
    Susanna, as a personal servant.
  • As was the custom of the time, she was given the
    Wheatley family's surname.
  • For a first name, she was given the name of the
    ship that had brought her to Boston, Phillis.
  • The Wheatley family taught Phillis English,
    Christianity, Latin, ancient history, mythology
    and classical literature.
  • The Wheatleys, clearly a family of culture and
    education, allowed Phillis time to study and
    write.
  • Her situation allowed her time to learn and to
    write poetry. Phillis Wheatley had fewer
    restrictions than most slaves experienced -- but
    she was still a slave.
  • On December 21, 1767, the Newport Mercury
    published the 14 year olds first poem, a tale of
    two men who nearly drowned at sea, and of their
    steady faith in God.
  • Her elegy for the evangelist George Whitefield in
    1770, brought more attention to her including
    visits by a number of Boston's notables,
    including political figures and poets.
  • She published more poems each year and a
    collection of her poems was published in London
    on September 1, 1773 when she was 19.

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Phillis Wheatley
The introduction to this volume of poetry by
Phillis Wheatley is unusual as a preface is an
"attestation" by seventeen men of Boston
(including the Governor of Massachusetts) that
she had, indeed, written the poems herself
WE whose Names are underwritten, do assure the
World, that the POEMS specified in the following
Page, were (as we verily believe) written by
Phillis, a young Negro Girl, who was but a few
Years since, brought an uncultivated Barbarian
from Africa, and has ever since been, and now is,
under the Disadvantage of serving as a Slave in a
Family in this Town. She has been examined by
some of the best Judges, and is thought qualified
to write them.
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Phillis Wheatley
  • Phillis dedicated the book to the Countess of
    Huntingdon in England.
  • The collection of poems followed a trip that she
    took to England. She was sent to England for her
    health when the Wheatley's son, Nathaniel, was
    traveling to England on business.
  • She caused quite a sensation in Europe.
  • She had to return unexpectedly to America when
    they received word that Mrs. Wheatley was ill.
  • Mrs. Wheatley died the next spring.
  • On October 26, 1775, well before American
    Independence was declared in 1776, Phillis
    Wheatley sent a poem she had written to George
    Washington, lauding his appointment as commander
    of the Continental Army.
  • The central theme of this poem is freedoms
    cause, the colonies struggle for freedom from
    England, which General Washington was assigned to
    lead.
  • Like many other residents of Boston, Wheatleys
    feelings for the British regime turned from
    obedient admiration to mild admonition, and
    finally, to support of the revolution.
  • The poem anticipates the future for the new
    republic, and praises the efforts of its military
    leader and first president.

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Phillis Wheatley
To His Excellency General Washington
Muse! bow propitious while my pen relatesHow
pour her armies through a thousand gates,As when
Eolus heaven's fair face deforms,Enwrapp'd in
tempest and a night of stormsAstonish'd ocean
feels the wild uproar,The refluent surges beat
the sounding shoreOr thick as leaves in
Autumn's golden reign,Such, as so many, moves
the warriors's train.
Celestial choir! enthron'd in realms of
light,Columbia's scenes of glorious toils I
write.While freedom's cause her anxious breast
alarms,She flashes dreadful in refulgent
arms.See mother earth her offspring's fate
bemoan,And nations gaze at scenes before
unknown!See the bright beams of heaven's
revolving lightInvolved in sorrows and the veil
of night!
Fam'd for thy valour, for thy virtues more,Hear
every tongue thy guardian aid implore!One
century scarce perform'd its destined round,When
Gallic powers Columbia's fury foundAnd so may
you, whoever dares disgraceThe land of freedom's
heaven-defended race!Fix'd are the eyes of
nations on the scales,For in their hopes
Columbia's arm prevails.Anon Britannia droops
the pensive head,While round increase the rising
hills of dead.
Ah! cruel blindness to Columbia's state!Lament
thy thirst of boundless power too late.Proceed,
great chief, with virtue on thy side,Thy ev'ry
action let the goddess guide.A crown, a mansion,
and a throne that shine,With gold unfading,
WASHINGTON! be thine.
In bright array they seek the work of war,Where
high unfurl'd the ensign waves in air.Shall I to
Washington their praise recite?Enough thou
know'st them in the fields of fight.Thee, first
in peace and honours, -we demandThe grace and
glory of thy martial band.
The goddess comes, she moves divinely fair,Olive
and laurel binds her golden hairWherever shines
the native of the skies,Unnumber'd charms and
recent graces rise.
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Phillis Wheatley
Cambridge, February 28, 1776. Mrs. Phillis Your
favour of the 26th of October did not reach my
hands 'till the middle of December. Time enough,
you will say, to have given an answer ere this.
Granted. But a variety of important occurrences,
continually interposing to distract the mind and
withdraw the attention, I hope will apologize for
the
In honour of which, and as a tribute justly due
to you, I would have published the Poem, had I
not been apprehensive, that, while I only meant
to give the World this new instance of your
genius, I might have incurred the imputation of
Vanity. This and nothing else, determined me not
to give it place in the public Prints.
If you should ever come to Cambridge, or near
Head Quarters, I shall be happy to see a person
so favoured by the Muses, and to whom Nature has
been so liberal and beneficent in her
dispensations. I am, with great Respect, etc.
Washington, as busy as he was with organizing the
colonies to take on the British, sent a letter
back to Wheatley thanking her for the poem and
inviting her to visit him if she ever came to
Cambridge, Massachusetts.
delay, and plead my excuse for the seeming, but
not real neglect. I thank you most sincerely for
your polite notice of me, in the elegant Lines
you enclosed and however undeserving I may be of
such encomium and panegyrick, the style and
manner exhibit a striking proof of your great
poetical Talents.
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Phillis Wheatley
  • The two did meet in March of 1776, seven years
    before the war was finished and true independence
    was declared.
  • In April of 1776, the author and political
    philosopher Thomas Paine published Wheatleys
    poem to Washington in The Pennsylvania Magazine.
  • Washington was roundly lauded in poems and prose
    after the successful conclusion of the
    Revolutionary War in 1783, but Wheatleys poem
    was written when the wars outcome was very
    uncertain, the British being the obvious
    favorites to win.
  • It can be said that Wheatley was the
    groundbreaker in beginning the Washington legend
    as the father of our country.
  • When her master died in March of 1778, she was
    freed. Mary Wheatley, the daughter of the family,
    died that same year.
  • A month after the death of John Wheatley, Phillis
    Wheatley married John Peters, a free black man of
    Boston.
  • Having children, trying to support the family,
    losing two children to death, and dealing with
    the war's effects and a shaky marriage, Phillis
    Wheatley was able to publish few poems during
    this period.
  • She addressed several other poems to George
    Washington. She sent them to him, but he never
    responded again.
  • Eventually John deserted Phillis. In poverty and
    among strangers, on December 5, 1784, she died,
    and her third child died hours after she did. 
  • Her last known poem was written for George
    Washington.
  • When in 1773, Phillis Wheatley published her
    collection of poems entitled Poems on Various
    Subjects, Religious and Moral, it was the first
    book of poetry published by an African American,
    and only the second book by a woman in what would
    become the United States.
  • Benjamin Franklin offered his services to her, as
    did many other high-ranking men in America.
  • Considering that Phillis Wheatley was bought at a
    slave auction in 1761, not able to read or write
    and incapable of speaking English, her work is
    truly astounding.

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Phillis Wheatley
11
Bibliography
Photo of Phillis book of poetry Scipio
Moorhead. Phillis Wheatley, Negro Servant to Mr.
John Wheatley, of Boston. Frontispiece engraving
to Wheatley's Poems on Various Subjects,
Religious and Moral (London Printed for A. Bell,
1773 PS866.W5 1773 RBSC). Rare Book and Special
Collections Division. LC-USZC4-5316 (color)
LC-USZ62-40054 (black and white). http//www.loc.g
ov/exhibits/treasures/images/tlc0395.jpg Library
of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections
Division
12
Bibliography
Washingtons letter to Wheatley George
Washington to Phillis Wheatley, February 28,
1776 http//memory.loc.gov/mss/mgw/mgw3h/001/01301
2.jpghttp//memory.loc.gov/mss/mgw/mgw3h/001/0140
13.jpg The George Washington Papers at the
Library of Congress 1741-1799 Credit Line
Library of Congress, Manuscript Division.
13
Bibliography
Photograph of George Washington The Prayer at
Valley Forge / painted by H. Brueckner engd. by
John C. McRae, New York John C. McRae, c1866.
SUMMARYGeorge Washington praying under trees
military camp in background. REPOSITORYLibrary
of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http//memory.loc.gov/
service/pnp/cph/3a00000/3a07000/3a07400/3a07460v.j
pg Credit Line Library of Congress, Prints and
Photographs Division LC-USZ62-4036 DLC
14
Bibliography
Phillis signature A letter from Phillis
Wheatley to Dear Obour, Dated Boston, March 21,
1774. Printed Ephemera Collection Portfolio 37,
Folder 26b. DIGITAL IDrbpe 0370260b
http//hdl.loc.gov/loc.rbc/rbpe.0370260b http//me
mory.loc.gov/rbc/rbpe/rbpe03/rbpe037/0370260b/001d
r.jpg
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