A Brief Look at Phillis Wheatley

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It can be argued that Phillis Wheatley has undoubtedly made significant contributions to literature on a grand scale. At the time that she began to showcase her talent for versifying poems, she was faced with the enslavement of her race. It can be argued to what extent someone is being held in slavery actually enslaved. It was inconceivable that a black slave female could achieve such a level of intellect that she was asked to verify that she actually did write her poems. Wheatley’s works have been critical in contrasting the assumption that African Americans were of inferior intellect. She was also criticized for not having her works make direct references to the abolition of slavery, and taking a more radical approach to addressing the institution. Wheatley, in her own right, did not need to take a radical approach to emphasize an anti-slavery message in her works. Through an analysis of the historical context of her poems we begin to see the consistencies and themes in her writing style, which helps readers to identify with the author. We can also identify with her use of religious inferences, classical citations, and unique use of language as instruments that not only highlight her heritage but provide a form of motivation in African American writers. This subtly sets the framework for an anti-slavery movement in her own distinctive way. Her works help to highlight how she is able to combine personal experiences and literary devices to establish her voice. Wheatley utilizes her poetry as an outlet to expose human frailty, and express her belief of racial and religious equivalence. Wheatley’s literature was essential in furthering the abolitionist movement. The goal and purpose of this movement was basically to put an end t... ... middle of paper ... ...economic positioning of African American slaves in America. Wheatley is magnificent in not only expressing her own ideals but also in incorporating the ideas that are evident in other literary works into her own. She is able to effectively utilize her knowledge of the English language and philosophical and religious beliefs in her poems. A few of the ongoing themes of Wheatley’s poetry include freedom, religion, morality, faith, celebration, war, and death. It is extremely essential to mention that Wheatley was the first African American woman to have her work published. Her works were in their own right prototypes for all literature that touched on race during her era. By analyzing Phillis Wheatley’s intellectual capacity we can begin to see that even after having been sold into slavery, she was only as limited as her imagination or faith would have her to be.

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