Phyllis Wheatley
from Poems on Various Subjects &
letters to George Washington and Samson Occom
Introduction
Phyllis Wheatley’s poem “To S.M. a Young African Painter, on Seeing his Works” is a tribute to Scipio Moorhead, the artist whose illustration of Wheatley (above) served as the frontispiece for her Poems on Various Subjects. Despite their talents, both Moorhead and Wheatley were slaves, subject to, but not able to participate in, the establishment of a nation on the verge of its own independence. Although her poetry was published before the nation was fully formed, her writing is infused with language and references that we typically associate with the spirit of American nationalism and revolution.
Wheatley’s poetry, full of religious and classical references, demonstrates her knowledge of poetic conventions of the time. She tackles a variety of subjects, both personal and political. Whether she is writing to public figures like George Washington or Samson Occom, musing on the landscape, or praising Columbia, Wheatley’s poetry is both personal and political. This is especially significant given her position as a slave during a time of very public conversations about freedom and democracy.
As a woman of color who was also a slave, Wheatley’s writing faced intense scrutiny. For some, it was a question of her literacy, and whether she was capable of being a writer. For others, like Thomas Jefferson, it was a question of her talent. Poems on Various Subjects is prefaced with a letter from her master, John Wheatley, and further attested to by fifteen other men who vouch for her, affirming that they “thought [her] qualified to write them.” Given this context, Moorhead’s illustration takes on greater significance. It becomes a way for Wheatley’s audience to visualize her before they even begin to read her work. As you prepare to read Wheatley’s poetry, consider what Moorhead’s image helps to convey about her. Consider, too, how she presents herself in writing. While we may not think of Wheatley as a typical “Founding” figure, she is precisely that. She was the first black woman to be published in America, essentially establishing two literary traditions at once.
Discussion Questions:
- What “American values” does Wheatley seem to emphasize?
- How does Wheatley (re)present herself in her poetry? How do these representations work alongside Moorhead’s illustration of her?
- Wheatley’s poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” is probably her most famous, yet it has also faced intense scrutiny. Some say that it indicates she is content with being a slave, while others argue that it is an indictment of slavery. How do you interpret the poem?
“On Being Brought from Africa to America”
‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
“Their colour is a diabolic die.”
Remember, Christia