An Unequitable Comparison By Phillis Wheatley

12.1.17

An Unequitable Comparison In Phillis Wheatley’s poem, “To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth”, the speaker compares England’s control over America to the enslavement of foreigners in America to emphasize her nation’s lack of freedom during the revolution. In particular, the speaker pays attention to word choice to illuminate the correspondence between the two sides. To show the intentional choice of diction, the speaker references the deliberate “Tyranny” (18) that England exercises “t’enslave the land” (19). The speaker had the ability to choose any word to convey England’s power over America; However, her selection of “enslave” (19) displays her conscious decision to correlate human subjugation with hierarchy. Comparing

The speaker hopes that one day, America will “No longer… dread thou iron chain” (16) exhibiting the restraining shackles that England has attached to America. Chains are commonly connected to slavery and the idea of not owning one’s own body. In this moment of vividly chaining America to England, the speaker equates England’s “wanton” (18) despotism with slavery. In doing so, just like slave owners, England’s “lawless hand” (18) takes control over America without mutual agreement. Furthermore, the speaker progresses this analogy by imploring, to Earl Dartmouth, if “Others may never feel tyrannic sway?” (31). As a slave, the speaker attempts to question tyranny by connecting it to slavery so that Earl Dartmouth will better understand the argument. Tyranny is known as oppressive rule over another thing or person. Although England’s taxation without representation is unfair, one human dominating another human for profit and labor is far more severe. Therefore, not only is the comparison transcendent, but it also forces the parallel between problems on a national level to problems on an individual level. Additionally, her collation could be viewed in conflicting