Blackness of the skin, Wheatley says, does not equate to blackness of the soul, and black people too may "join th'angelic train". Phyllis Wheatley was taught from age seven exclusively by white Christian Puritans. Subsequently, question is, what is the pagan land mentioned in the first line? On Being Brought from Africa to America. Using textual evidence from this poem or any of her poems and analysis, take a stance and support. The latter is a devotion poem and elegy written after the death of a cloys friend. This poem is a real-life account of Wheatley’s experiences. The book includes many elegies as well as poems on Christian themes; it also includes poems dealing with race, such as the often-anthologized “On Being Brought from Africa to America.” She returned to America in 1773. 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' is a short but powerful poem that illustrates the complexity of Phillis Wheatley's life as an educated but enslaved African … To begin with, the poet herself is an interesting example of a literate slave writing about her own experience prior to the nineteenth century, where we begin to see more of this. By Phillis Wheatley. She began writing poetry when she was 12 years old. Assonance: "Their colour is a diabolic die." Wheatley makes use of several literary devices in ‘On Being Brought from Africa to America’. She has been enlightened … On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley: Summary and Analysis Phillis Wheatley was brought to America from Africa at the age of eight. Okay, brace yourself: Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American woman in America to publish a book of poems. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." The theme of Christianity echoes through each line of this poem. from University of Oxford Ph.D. from University of Leicester, Top subjects are Literature, History, and Law and Politics. This simple and consistent pattern makes sense for Wheatley’s straightforward message. That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. melaniepoetry Uncategorized April 20, 2018 2 Minutes. Why? On being brought from Africa to America is a poem by Phillis Wheatley, the first African American poet in the 18th century. Her poetry expressed Christian themes, and many poems were dedicated to famous figures. Questions after a first reading of the Wheatley poems "Upon Being Brought from Africa to America" To whom is this addressed and what idea does it convey? Throughout the poem, the speaker talks about God's mercy and the indifferent attitude of the people toward the African-American community. However, unlike other slaves, her masters taught her how to read and write. The poem uses the principles of Protestant meditation, which include contemplating various Christian themes like one's own death or salvation. So, the speaker seems to be saying it was a good thing that she was brought from her homeland. Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train. There is a good example of an allusion in the last lines when the poet refers to “Cain”. Wheatley ends the poem noting that in God's eyes despite skin color we are all one in the same setting up a tone for discussion for the abolitionist movement in regards to equality for blacks. The first, personification, is seen in the first lines in which the poet says it was “mercy” that brought her to America. Questions in other subjects: Mathematics, 18.02.2020 08:27. On Being Brought From Africa to America. For instance, “ On Being Brought from Africa to America,” the best-known Wheatley poem, chides the Great Awakening audience to remember that Africans must be included in the Christian stream: “Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, /May be refin’d and join th’ angelic train.” "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is a single stanza made up of eight lines and has an AABBCCDD rhyming structure. We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." The theme is slavery, as the speaker is coming from Africa and Christianity. Poet Phillis Wheatley Students edit a short paragraph about Wheatley. She wants them all to know that she was brought by “mercy” to America and to religion. In the first part of the poem, Wheatley uses the first-person to describe her experience of coming to America. Explanation: On Being Brought From Africa to America is eight lines long, a single stanza, four rhyming couplets formed into a block. That is, Africa represents a … Phillis Wheatley's poem "On Being Brought from Africa to America" appeared in her 1773 volume Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, the first full-length published work by an African American author. She believes that her discovery of God, after being forcibly enslaved in America, was the best thing that could’ve happened to her. This line from Phillis Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” the speaker refers to herself as “black as Cain” (7). The meter of this poem is straightforward. Some of the best include ‘A Hymn to God the Father’ by John Donne (Donne is a great source for religious poetry), ‘The Collar’ by George Herbert (a less strict religious poem that includes the questioning of religion) as well as Alfred Lord Tennyson’s ‘In Memoriam’. Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia. The eight lines rhyme in aabbaabb fashion. Wheatley is a subtle rebel. In "On Being Brought from Africa to America," Wheatley identifies herself first and foremost as a Christian, rather than as African or American, and asserts everyone's equality in God's sight. Some view our sable race with scornful eye. "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is a single stanza made up of eight lines and has an AABBCCDD rhyming structure. ‘On Being Brought from Africa to America’ by Phillis Wheatley is a short, eight-line poem that is structured with a rhyme scheme of AABBCCDD. She uses that event and her experience in America as the subject matter of her poem. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. But there's more: it's "mercy" that's bringing her. She knew “redemption” through this transition and banished all sorrow from her life. A detailed summary and explanation of Lines 5-8 in On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley. Subscribe to our mailing list to get the latest and greatest poetry updates. On Being Brought from Africa to America Phillis Wheatley. Literature is one of her greatest passions which she pursues through analysing poetry on Poem Analysis. As On Being Brought From Africa to America essay evidences, Paine is referring to America’s politics in the above quote. The narrator, who was once a slave, was brought to America, where she became a Christian. If the title "On Being Brought from Africa to America" doesn't suggest change to you, maybe the subtle hints throughout the poem will help change your mind. ("On Being Brought from Africa to America") Here, Wheatley repeats "i" sounds. Wheatley describes her native Africa as a "Pagan" land wherein her soul was "benighted": she describes her enslavement and passage to America as representing a salvation for her, in that she has been taught about God and a Saviour and redemption she "never sought nor knew" before. The login page will open in a new tab. Discussion of themes and motifs in Phillis Wheatley's On Being Brought from Africa to America. That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. 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. Though her poem “On Being Brought to America from Africa” is a mere 8 lines, Phillis Wheatley was able to describe her experience of coming to America as a slave without being negative and ridiculing towards her audience. -I think Wheatley is intending to reach insecure African Americans with her poem because she is saying that everyone is the same in God’s eyes. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." But I believe that Wheatley is trying to reach out to her audience to society. On Being Brought From Africa to America is an unusual poem because it was written by a black woman who was a slave back in the days when black people could be bought and sold at will by white owners. Are you a teacher? she speaks to the white Christians: Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now. The title, "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is nearly as blunt as I can get. The first of these is unstressed and the second is stressed. This is a reference to the biblical Book of Genesis and the two sons of Adam. They gave her the name ‘Phillis’. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. How would you describe the tone of “On Being Brought from Africa," and does it shift? Please log in again. On Being Brought From Africa to America is an unusual poem because it was written by a black woman who was a slave back in the days when black people could be bought and sold at will by white owners 2. Thank you! Themes in On Being Brought from Africa to America. ‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land. They can “join th’ angelic train”. Wheatley’s most prominent themes in this piece are religion, freedom, and equality. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. In other ways, however, this poem is not conventional at all. The poem describes Wheatley's experience as a young girl who was enslaved and brought to the American colonies in 1761. At the first lnes of poem, she wrote that it was God’s mercy that she was brought from her home country to America. The intended audience, also suggested by the … On Being Brought From Africa to America is an unusual poem because it was written by a black woman who was a slave back in the days when black people could be bought and sold at will by white owners. Her work may be an expressio… Poems by Phillis Wheatley Hypertext comments and postreading questions for "On Being Brought From Africa to America," "To S. M., a Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works," and "On Imagination." The quote symbolizes unity among all humankind. Cain murdered his brother and was marked for the rest of time. In other words, her location was changing, from Africa to America. On Being Brought from Africa to America By Phillis Wheatley 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a It is often cited as Tennyson’s best. It is through advertising that we are able to contribute to charity. Autoplay Next Video '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. Written as a lyric, Wheatley describes her experience as a slave in a positive tone, as though being a slave was her salvation because it brought her to the Christian faith. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Example of a poem on slavery is "On being brought from Africa to America" 3. Over one-third consist of elegies, the remainder being on religious, classical, and abstract themes. 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