Phillis Wheatley

towards the middle of the 19th century as the sentiment of abolition and freedom started to rise. A multitude of slaves scribed and reflected on their times in enslavement, which includes Olaudah Equiano, Harriet Jacobs, Frederick Douglass, and Phyllis Wheatley. Although…

than not, indirectly, acknowledge this possibility. One author, the poet, Phillis Wheatley made the poem, “To the University of Cambridge, in New-England” in an effort to acknowledge the chance that England would actually win the revolution. The poem details how the students of Cambridge should enjoy college life to as much an extent as possible, with the lines, “Improve your privileges while they stay, ye pupils.” (Wheatley 1) This line can refer to enjoying college now, but it takes on a…

American women sought out freedom and equality. At first, this form of literature was unknown and not voiced because throughout history African American literature was through the perspective of African American males. Authors and poets like Phillis Wheatley, Lucille Clifton, Maya Angelou and many others have paved the way for many aspiring African American women. Often these women wanted to prove their humanity and demonstrate their creativity and use of imagery in their works. Literature has…

for twelve-fourteen hours. The Enlightenment was not without failures, the worst being “the inhumane activities of the transatlantic slave trade” (Fiero pg. 53). Olaudah Equiano wrote about his kidnapping and journey on slave ships in Travels. Phillis Wheatley was a slave…

whom it may concern. Many women, men, and children are taken from their homes and sold like a piece of property to the highest bidder. Then we are treated as if we have no intelligence, and furthermore we have no rights. A former slave known as Phillis Wheatley is the first black slave in America to publish a book. She wrote a poem in this book that depicts her childhood of how she was wrongfully taken from her home in Africa and sold into slavery. Fortunately she was bought by…

“Taught my benighted soul to understand/That there 's a God, that there 's a Saviour too” (Wheatley 602). This statement references her capture and journey from Africa to America. She means that the pagan life she lived before in Africa made her ignorant and oblivious of the existence of something greater than what she knew, Christianity. This explains why she acknowledges God by calling him her savior. Wheatley was not aware of God in her traditional African culture. However, after she is…

Poetry has always been utilized to express the ideologies and beliefs held by the individual. The poets Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley, usually chose to write about topics accepted by society. For instance, they have both written works about embracing the love of God and the deliverance he offers, however, these early American poets have also written works that express their personal beliefs sometimes contradictory to society. To begin with, both of these women were strong believers in…

What is family? By a traditional definition, a family is two adults with children or a child. In the first chapter of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass talks about not really knowing his family, He was able to only meet his mother for a few short moments of his life before she died, and once she did, he wasn’t even able to go to her funeral. “Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of…

African American history is the story of great tragedy and accomplishment. Where they were once was kings and queens Africans were taken from their homeland as slaves to work in the dirt. They were treated cruelly and unjustly. However, they would fight ultimately for their freedom looking to having some sort of freedom whether in their homeland of Africa or this new land of America. Some call Africa the birth place of human beings seeing that The Great Rift Valley is known for having some of…

In order for a seed to grow into a thriving plant, it must receive the proper amount of nutrients, water, and sunlight. If a seed does not receive these necessities, it completely stops growing and dies. This is akin to the pursuit of the American Dream. Individuals argue whether this dream includes economic opportunity, personal liberty, civil rights, or even two and a half children, but these are merely tools for achieving the true definition of the American Dream: happiness. While it may seem…