In the introduction of the essay, Davis states “This book is about how the threads of slavery were woven deeply into almost every aspect of American society for centuries. It is about how important slavery was to the nation’s birth and growth and to the men who led the country for so long. It is about wealth and political power and untold misery” (xii). He supports his topic with the five stories of the black people enslaved by American heroes that he researched well. Within the stories, he appeals to logic and emotion.
In her article “ Uncovering Subversion in Phillis Wheatley’s Signature Poem: “ On being brought from AFRICA to AMERICA”, MaryCatherine Loving states the reading strategies to reveal Wheatley’s rejection of Christianity, her acknowledgement of life before slavery, and her efforts to position her own body with those of other enslaved Africans. Wheatley’s choice of title provides an early frame of reference for the movement will be more fully described. The movement was not only to AMERICA it originated in AFRICA. Wheatley’s use of capitalization in the title of work can be proposed as a forerunner of the term African American to denote blacks of African heritage. She carefully mimicked the forms of language and stereotypes regarding enslaved African, which she inherited.
Phillis Wheatley's "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is dated in 1773, immediately a reader can make an assumption based on the title that the poem is about slavery and someone who has come to the new continent as a slave. The author feels that the Africans should be pleased that they were brought from Africa to America and saved from their Pagan land (Wheatley). The author makes it clear in the first four lines of the poem that being brought from Africa to a new continent as slaves allowed them to find their god and their entry into Christianity as hope for themselves (Explanation of: 'On Being Brought From Africa to America' by Phillis Wheatley). Wheatley even stated in her poem that "taught my benighted soul to understand That there's
Within her poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” Phillis Wheatley takes a rather unique stance regarding the concept of slavery, a topic that was controversial during her time. Wheatley begins by stating that it was “mercy” that had brought her from her native “Pagan” land to the world of God and Salvation. With her embedded passion within the poem, a reader can easily infer that Phillis truly appreciates that she was able to learn the notions of Redemption and Heaven from her gruesome travels. This is a rather ironic situation a former slave could be in, for her physical pain would drastically outweigh her spiritual revelation. Later on, Wheatley proceeds to address the racial issue that was prevalent in America.
In 1773, there were slaves all over colonial America working in plantations, and cleaning their masters houses. It wasn’t common for a slave to be writing poetry with their owners consent. Phyllis Wheatley’s success as the first African American published poet was what inspired generations to tell her story. It was her intellectual mind and point of view that made her different from others, both black and white. Phyllis’s story broke the barrier for all African American writers, and proved that no matter the gender or race, all human beings are capable of having an intelligent state of mind.
In Wheatley’s poem “To a Lady on Her Husband’s Death,” she writes “Till nature in her final wreck shall lie, and her last groan shall rend the azure sky; not, not till then, his active soul shall claim his body, a divine, immortal frame.” (Wheatley 11) This poem supports Wheatley being a selfless poet and shows how she expresses the feelings and emotions of those around her. Wheatley paints a vivid image in each poem she writes to show her readers what others in the community around her are going through and the experiences she has been through and witnessed. In Wheatley’s poem “On Being Brought From Africa to America,” Wheatley writes “T was mercy brought me from my pagan land, taught me benighted soul to understand that there’s a God—that
He regards Independence Day as “your boasted liberty” (par. 12) because the holiday does not embrace dark-skinned people. While the Declaration of Independence does not precisely exclude a black person within its writings, society does. There is no liberty for all, only hypocrisy and false promises that favors the dominant group of white men. Expanding on the distinct relationship and status between the two ethnic groups, Douglass writes, “your celebration is a sham” (par. 12). Douglass does not soften his sentiments, his sentiments that are shared among the enslaved.
“Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train” (Lines 7-8). Wheatley’s overall message for the poem is that blacks can be saved and “join th’ angelic train”. This shows how Wheatley desires to spread the good news of Christianity to everyone, not just whites. She wished to express to the readers that faith in God was possible to both blacks and whites, despite how they are treated in a racist society. Phyllis Wheatley was greatly influenced by her religion, and it showed throughout all of her poetry.
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train. Naomi Black Professor Charles English 320 11 February 2018 Rebellion and Phillis Wheatley Likely Phillis Wheatley’s most discussed and definitely her most despised poem, “On Being Brought from Africa to America” is usually
Within Ellis Island by Joseph Bruchac, On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley, and Europe and America by David Ignatow there are different views of what the American Dream is and what it means to immigrants. Each author writes about their own experience of immigration and life in America, which shapes their view of the American dream. The common theme between the three poems is the variable nature of the American dream and how it has different meanings for each person coinciding with contradictions between leisure and suffering.
One of the strategies Douglass uses to convince his audience slavery should be abolished is by “calling out American hypocrisy in his Fourth of July oration” (Mercieca 1). He shames them with no remorse. He speaks on the opposite treatments that enable whites to live in a state of freedom and liberty, while the blacks are living in a state of bondage. As the audience listens, he reminds them, there are men, women and children still held hostages to the chains of
Slavery was not something the African-American’s took very kindly. In fact, a considerable amount of slaves would have rather taken their lives instead of being forced into slavery. For Phillis Wheatley though, slavery was something she was grateful for. Wheatley wasn’t your typical slave. Instead, she was very sophisticated and believed slavery was not a bad thing and it was God’s providence to protect his followers.
This poems speaks of the author’s religion, past, and her experiences with race in America. This poem is a rarity because most of Wheatley’s poems do not explicitly mention race. This poem, however, is an exception. Wheatley’s poem states, “Some view our sable race with scornful eye, ‘Their colour is a diabolic die.’ Remember, Christians, Negro's, black as Cain, May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.”
Phyllis Wheatley shocked the world with poetry as a young black woman who was raised as a slave. Wheatley, unlike most slaves, received an extensive religious education from her owners. The disbelief that surrounded Wheatley’s ability caused her to have to go to court to prove that the writing was her own. This doubt ran through the colonies, showing their opinions on who could be successful at this time . One of Wheatley’s best known poems is “On being brought from Africa to America” and another poem is “To the Right and Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth”.
Again Wheatley’s plays with words here, the use of “refined” leads us back to the line before, “black as Cain”, Cain meaning, sugar cane, the refining could mean that every black needs to be refined as a sugar cane just to be in a society with white people and as she says, “angelic train”. The use of train here could mean white community in which they are white just like angels and the black community cannot join them just because of there color, and the dark color represents devil; devils and angels can’t be on the same
