Summary Of On Being Brought From Africa To America By Sheick

SUMMARY WRITING ASSIGNMENT

This article written by Professor William Scheick from the University of Texas makes an analysis on Phillis Wheatley poem “ On being brought from Africa to America”. Indeed, the author states as main thesis that Wheatley 's poem is not about race but a poem about religion, how as a religious person it is possible to forget about races. Indeed, as the professor says Wheatley was a former pagan which means that whenever she was in Africa she belonged to a community observing a polytheistic religion. However, after being brought as a slave in America Phillis Wheatley converted to Christianism. To give more argument about his thesis the author refers to the biblical allusion in Wheatley 's poem. Biblical allusion that proves her conversion to Christianism. Besides, professor Scheick relates the fact that in Wheatley 's poem Christianity is used to confirm that races does not exist. Front of God all humans are equal. An example for his article can be used, Sheick says "she also indicates apropos her point about spiritual change that the Christian serve of original sin applies equally to both race". Further Sheick also says, "white and black people are utterly equal before God, whose authority transcends the paltry earthly authorities who have argued for the two races." Also, another point to support the author thesis is when Wheatley use the verse of Isaiah as a biblical allusion she wants to justify that being white is not a

Sheick says that a double nuance of refinement exist in Wheatley 's poem. There is not only the spiritual refinement by affliction drawn in the verse of Isaiah but also an aesthetic refinement that is represented by Wheatley poetic grace. It is a fantasize that have religious poet. As Sheick says " the correspondence between their spiritual reconstruction and the aesthetic grace of their