ipl-logo

Phyllis Wheatley: A Brief Biography

882 Words4 Pages

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. Her arrival in America in 1761, at the age of eight is what started the story of a legend. When Phyllis was captured from West Africa, she knew nothing besides her home language and culture. Arriving in Boston, she was purchased by John Wheatley, who wanted a personal a personal slave for his wife Susanna. Her life with the Wheatleys was nothing ordinary, as they were strangely compassionate slave owners and weren’t hesitant to show it. …show more content…

This was what started her on the road the poverty. After being freed, she married another free man who didn’t make as much money either,which wasn’t much help to her already bad situtaion. They had three children who tragically died in infancy and that hurt Phyllis even more. She spent most of her life being sick and with all of these depressing events, Phyllis died at the age of thirty-one in 1784. Even though her story came to a tragic end, her legacy was not forgotten. She showed all African American women and men that they can achieve the impossible and have an intelligent mind like everyone else. Even African American poets from today like Alice Walker found her as an inspiration. In one of her poems about being brought to america, she perfectly summarizes what the struggle was being a slave that is equal to everyone

Show More
Related
532 Words | 3 Pages

How was it like to be an African American writer in the 1800s? Mary Ann Shadd Cary reveals just how hard it was to get her words out. On March 25, 1854, an editorial of hers appeared on the “Provincial Freeman” called “Why Establish This Paper?”. Mary Ann discusses the necessity of her newspaper by using rhetorical strategies such as personification, alliteration, and appealing to the readers pathos to establish her claim of freedom of speech Mary Ann uses personification and establishes her ethos to support her claim of freedom of speech. Within the first paragraph, she states, " As the great country grows we grow with it ; as it improves and progresses, we are carried forward on the bosom of its onward tide.

Read More
301 Words | 2 Pages

She sustained a serious head injury and then suffered from seizures, hallucinations, and sleep attacks for the rest of her life. In 1844 she married John Tubman, a free black man, but the marriage was not recognized by law and was therefore still enslaved. She tried to convince him to run north with her but he refused. After her owner 's death she fled north to Philadelphia.

Read More
379 Words | 2 Pages

Elizabeth Keckley's narrative had a positive outcome, once she was able to buy her freedom as well as her son's. She moved North and became popular

Read More
860 Words | 4 Pages

Despite Phillis Wheatley being an African American former slave in the 1760's, Phillis managed to overcome unimaginable obstacles that and become a successful poet. Around the age of seven Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped and was sold into slavery to the Wheatley's. Unlike many white slave owners the Wheatleys cared deeply for Phillis, so they decided to teach her how to read and write, which was illegal during this time. Phillis Wheatley played a very vital role in American history, despite being sold into slavery Phillis manage to overcome all obstacles and break down barriers to become the well known astounding poet she is today. One of Wheatley’s poems that received the most attention is the one she wrote for George Washington, 'To the King's Most Excellency Majesty'.

Read More
521 Words | 3 Pages

Before slavery was abolished it was uncommon for African-Americans to read and write, much less for a slave to become a published writer. It was even more uncommon for the writer to be female. But neither of those things stopped Phillis Wheatley. Wheatley is born a slave in Africa and brought over on a ship called the Phillis which is her namesake. She is also given her slave owners’ last name.

Read More
676 Words | 3 Pages

She came down to the south and made rescues for ten years and spend a lot of her life also finding safe houses so slaves could escape (Document

Read More
499 Words | 2 Pages

Ida Bell Wells-Barnett was born a slave in 1862 but not for long because of the Emancipation Proclamation. Ida and her family were decreed free by the Union. Wells-t filled a lawsuit against a train car company in Memphis for unfair treatment. She was in Memphis where she first started to fight for racial and gender justice. She has thrown off a first-class train to Nashville, regardless of having a ticket.

Read More
1475 Words | 6 Pages

Phillis Wheatley was an American poet, considered as the first important black writer in the United States. Brought from Africa in 1761, she began writing on her experiences and views on being a slave, focusing on religious and political themes. Bringing her personal beliefs and activism into many pieces of her work, both served as important themes throughout her literature. “On Being Brought from Africa to America” described the positivity of being an American slave while it brought her to Christianity. The poems of Phillis Wheatley display a classical quality and restrained emotion while dealing with pietistic Christian sentiments.

Read More
981 Words | 4 Pages

HARRIET TUBMAN Early Life Harriet Tubman was a slave in the west. She didn’t know when she was born. At the age of six she started slavery. The line between freedom and slavery was hazy for Tubman and her family. Harriet Tubman’s father, Ben was freed from slavery at the age of 45, stipulated in the will of a previous owner.

Read More
126 Words | 1 Pages

After reading Phillis Wheatley’s life story and delving into the details of her poetess career, I have come to form an opinion on the Wheatley’s treatment towards her through interpretation of the historical novel. Phillis was brought to America as a slave, but then was purchased by a wealthy family living in Boston. This family, the Wheatley’s, were not cruel to her in the common and tradition sense of general slave treatment. Phillis was not physically abused, she was not starved, and she was not subjected to poor living conditions. In actuality, Phillis was practically viewed as another child to Mr. and Mrs. Wheatley.

Read More
1239 Words | 5 Pages

A man fought for the freedom of these slaves. He’s name was William Wilberforce. William Wilberforce was born on 24 August 1759 to Robert Wilberforce and Elizabeth Bird. Wilberforce had three sisters. Two of them who passed away at the ages of 8 and 14.

Read More
925 Words | 4 Pages

“She made two trips a year into slave territory, one in the fall and another in the spring. She now had a definite crystallized purpose, and carrying it, her life fell into a pattern which remained unchanged for the next six years.” (Petry, 496) During a span of 10 years she escorted over 300 slaves to freedom, and never lost a single

Read More
828 Words | 4 Pages

Phillis Wheatley, born in 1753, wrote the poem, “On Being Brought From Africa to America” in 1773, at the young age of 20 years old. Wheatley was an African American, and a woman, and she is known as a true American poet and a pioneer. Wheatley was well-educated, which was unusual for both women and African Americans at this time, and her education gave her many tools to write the powerful works she wrote. Wheatley’s works tend to be subtly argumentative, and that is what I’d like to demonstrate and analyze in my explication of “On Being Brought From Africa to America.” In the first two lines of this poem, Wheatley chooses to communicate her ideas using words riddled with implications.

Read More
297 Words | 2 Pages

Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery. She had a hard early life. She escaped from slavery to become an abolonist for slavery. Lastly, her later life wasn’t very difficult. Harriet Tubman was born between 1820 and 1825 no one really knew the exact year.

Read More
1265 Words | 6 Pages

We note from this poem that Wheatley was not concerned with poetry as a narrative, but the focus was on ideas and concepts that incorporated in this short poem as a Christianity, racism and enslavement. The story of bringing her from Africa to America as a "mercy". Also, focus that no one even "Negroes" is possible to be Christians, God accepts all people means that Christianity makes us equal, regardless of skin color, race, and so on (Shmoop). Knowing that Phillis Wheatley was a prominent icon in America to overcome the difficulties and be able to appearing, but the slavery that was experienced because of race, ethnic racism, did not publish all her poems because the vast majority in America did not like and did not want to mix with blacks (Acton/ American

Read More

More about Phyllis Wheatley: A Brief Biography

Related Topics

Open Document