The Life and Struggles of Phyllis Wheatley
When Phyllis Wheatley was kidnapped and forced to come over to the American colonies to be a slave, her captors were unaware that they had in their possession a woman who would become the first African American poet to be published and just the second woman to do so in America (Gatewood, par.1).
Wheatley had a thirst for knowledge, even as a young girl. Fortunately for her, she was sold to a generous family, who “raised” her in a Christian environment that only viewed her as a “token slave” (Robinson and Phillips, par. 1). It was in this environment that Wheatley learned to speak and read English and Latin, began to follow Christianity by understanding the Bible, and was introduced to writing as an art form (Robinson and Phillips, par. 1).
Wheatley was consistently rejected by printers simply because of the color of her skin. Her first attempt at a publication was, in fact, accepted by printers, however, “they could not credit ‘ye performances to be by a Negro” (Robinson and Phillips, par. 5). However, Wheatley never let this disadvantage weigh her down, as she consistently noted in many of her works that she was African and extremely proud of her heritage. This ultimately led to her fame as she often made “her political, cultural, and poetic self-consciousness a literary subject in and of itself” thus showing she was a proponent for social change in America, from there on out (Robinson and Phillips, par.6).
Analysis of Phyllis Wheatley’s Poetry
One of the most powerful statements in Phyllis Wheatley’s poem On Being Brought from Africa to America is “Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, / May be refin’d and join th’ angelic train” (7-8). In this statement, Wheatley calls for unification and universal respect as all believers share the label of Christian, regardless of race.
Wheatley’s call for unconditional and universal appreciation and respect is echoed in her poem An Hymn to the Morning, as she speaks of a day where the country will not be so segregated and the dark times will fade. “His rising radiance drives the shades away / But Oh! I feel his fervid beams too strong…”
Wheatley is, however, very quick to comment on the differences between herself and her audiences, as she did in her poem To the University of Cambridge, in New England, when she points out that the students were given something she never was: privilege. She continues by stating that the students should use said privilege for good and, most importantly, to keep sin at bay, as God is always watching (21-25).
Wheatley’s self-awareness is put on display again in On Imagination when she uses imagery to paint the picture on what it is like to be captive. She references “Fancy” as her avatar for her imagination, and how even under the disdainful and hateful gaze of “Winter”, her captor, “gay scenes arise”, breaking the bondage Winter has on Wheatley, if only for a moment (23-24).
Wheatley’s biggest gift is, arguably, her will to get her word out, as she addresses this in To S.M. a young African Painter, on seeing his Works. She uses metaphor to help the reader understand that a “poet’s fire” is their will to be heard, and this fire “aid(s) thy pencil…” through even the heaviest of blocks in creativity (9-10).
Wheatley’s final poem in the reading, To His Excellency General Washington, exemplifies just how important unification is to Wheatley. She views herself as an American, in this poem, and is willing to put a hold on her social change agenda, in order to write a few inspiration words to a white slave-owner, about the desire for “peace and honor” shared throughout the colonies (25).
The Renowned Johnathan Edwards
Johnathan Edwards was an American pastor of “world standing” during the time of the Great Awakening (Bensick and Martin, par. 1). According to the same article, Edwards brought with an “evangelical emphasis” that “brought about a number of conversions in the Northampton congregation” during the Great Awakening (Bensick and Martin, par. 5). In using this influence, Edwards wrote, arguably, the most emphatic sermon of the time period: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
Edwards wrote an incredibly powerful message, in trying to connect to those who had lost faith in their maker. In his sermon, Edwards uses parallelism, in an attempt to compare the inevitability of doom that non-believers and sinners faced every day that they refused to accept God into their lives, to the wrath God placed upon the Israelites who found themselves in the same predicament (Edwards, 22). Furthermore, Edwards explains that it is by “the sovereign pleasure of God” that those who live on the Earth in sin and disgrace, are not in hell at this very moment (Edwards 27). In a time where science was not advanced religion played an enormous role in how people behaved. Throughout his sermon, Edwards depicts an outraged God, disappointed in his disciples, however, Edwards himself never let his tone get to an enraged state.
In delivering his sermon, Edwards was cited by eye-witnesses as to giving his sermon “in a low, quiet monotone” (Edwards, 22). In a way, this helps get the message across, as an emotional response is then elicited from the content of the speech itself, as opposed to its deliverance. As a result, as mentioned before, Edwards saw extreme emotional responses from his gatherings accompanied by large conversion rates.