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“The
world is a severe schoolmaster, for its frowns are less
dangerous than its smiles and flatteries, and it is a difficult task to
keep in
the path of wisdom.”
-Phillis
Wheatley
Biography-Criticism
Phillis Wheatley, an influential African American writer,
was born in Senegal, Africa in 1753.
Kidnapped and sold into slavery, she was
bought by an American couple,
John and Susanna Wheatley, in Boston when she was seven.
However, the Wheatley family was remarkably
compassionate and taught her English and Christianity.
Unfortunately, she did not attend a formal
grammar school; however, her owners did teach her Greek, mythology,
history and
Latin. She believed her enslavement
benefited her because it brought her to the Christian faith. In 1778,
she
married a black man, John Peters, after receiving her freedom on
October 18,
1773, but she was never able to support the type of family she wanted. Wheatley and Peters had three children who
all died as toddlers. Peters eventually
abandoned Wheatley, and she was forced to support herself by being a
maid in a
boardinghouse. She died on December 5,
1784 surrounded by poverty.
She began writing poetry in 1765 and began publishing at the
age of thirteen in 1767 in the Newport Mercury.
Her first poem entitled “On Messrs. Hussey and Coffin" showed her
literary
maturity. It
was a tale of two men who nearly drowned at
sea and had a strong faith in God.
However, her poem about the death of Reverend
George Whitefield acquired
her fame and glory. The message of
Christianity and salvation drifts throughout her poetry.
She applied biblical symbolism to comment on
slavery. In addition, she used
historical allusions and classical mythology in her poetry. In 1772,
she had to
defend her work because most white people believed she was not
competent enough
to write her poetry, but they found her knowledgeable to compose her
works. Thirty-nine of her poems were
published in
1773 in London in a collection entitled Poems on Various Subjects,
Religious
and Moral. She also sent many
letters to George Washington about his appointment and authority over
the
Continental Army. Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush commended her. She was the first African American woman to
publish a book of poetry. However, she
unfortunately did not make a living off her writing and had to work as
a
servant. Wheatley expresses her freedom
by making political comments supporting freedom from Britain, utilizes
verse to
escape a world of imagination, and celebrates death and rewards of an
afterlife. In total, scholars approximate that she wrote nearly 145
poems;
although, the second volume of her poems was permanently lost.
Selected Bibliography
Works by
the Author
“An Elegiac Poem, on the Death of that Celebrated Divine,
and Eminent Servant of Jesus Christ, the Reverend and Learned George
Whitefield.” (1770)
“An Elegy, Sacred to the Memory of that Great Divine, The
Reverend and Learned Dr. Samuel Cooper.” (1784)
“To Mr. and Mrs.----, on the Death of Their Infant Son.”
(1784)
“Liberty and Peace, a Poem.” (1784)
“On Messrs. Hussey and Coffin.” (1767)
The Poems of Phillis
Wheatley
Poems on Various
Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773)
The Poems of Phillis
Wheatley (1966)
Works about
the
Author
Graham, Shirley. The
Story of Phillis Wheatley.
New York,
1949.
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
The Trials of
Phillis Wheatley: America's First Black
Poet and Encounters with the Founding Fathers. New
York,
New York, 2003.
Lasky, Kathryn.
A Voice of Her
Own : The Story of Phillis Wheatley,
Slave Poet. Massachusetts,
2003.
Robinson, William H. Phillis Wheatley: A
Bio-Bibliography. Massachusetts,
1981.
Robinson, William H. Critical Essays on Phillis
Wheatley. Massachusetts,
1982.
Thatcher, B. B. Memoir
of Phillis Wheatley, A Native African and a Slave. Massachusetts, 1834
Related links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillis_Wheatley
Wikipedia Encyclopedia entry
http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi620.htm
-Information about her poetry’s validity
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Bios/entries/wheatley_phillis.html
-Biography and Criticism
http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap2/wheatley.html
-Information about her writing style
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Bios/entries/wheatley_phillis.html
-Biographical information and important links
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/bio/blbio_phillis_wheatley.htm
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASwheatley.htm
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/winter96/wheatley.html
http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/whea-phi.htm
http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0214_Phillis_Wheatley.html
This page was researched and
submitted by Kelsey
Buchanan. Please contact the editor with any questions or
suggestions. |
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