Analysis Of To The University Of Cambridge By Phillis Wheatley

In the eighteenth century poem “To the University of Cambridge”, Phillis Wheatley highlights the importance of recognizing Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice of dying for the forgiveness of sins committed by all of mankind and of straying away from the temptation of sin. Despite being a slave who has received no formal university education, Wheatley is addressing students who are undergraduates at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a premiere institution of higher learning. Although the students have gained knowledge in a variety of subject areas during their time spent as undergraduate students in Cambridge, the most important lesson they will ever learn, Wheatley asserts, is to shy away from the allurement of sin in order to honor Jesus for dying for the sins, past and future, of humankind. Wheatley’s use of …show more content…
The break separating the first stanza from the second stanza allows for listeners to acknowledge Wheatley’s gratitude for both God and the opportunities presented to her in the United States that she would not have faced in Africa. This break further allows for Wheatley to transition from focusing on her own fervor for composing poetry and her thankfulness for God’s direction. Wheatley begins her second stanza by directly addressing the students. In lines seven and eight, the first two lines of stanza two, Wheatley recognizes the privilege granted to the undergraduate students as a result of them having received a world-class education. In part due to their time spent at Harvard College, the students are positioned at the top of the hierarchy of society, where they are free “to scan the heights” (Wheatley 7). The students also have developed the critical thinking and communication skills necessary to make a mark on the world. However, while the students may have learned an immense amount of material during their time spent as undergraduates, the lessons they have gained from the Bible remain