Phillis Wheatly was only 12 years old when she published her first poem. Her poem was actually about tyranny and slavery in the colonies in 1773. In October 1772 she was asked to write a poem, which was named To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth”. It was named this to show the colonist in hopes to show the new secretary that state colonist could be less cruel. The poem also showed the struggles Phillis’ went through in her life. Her collection of Poems were about Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Most of her poem she were about her difficult childhood. So the question is how this 12 year old slave girl could be so gifted in English writing when it was not okay for slaves to learn how to read and write. When wheatly was about
