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    Americana B - Phillis Wheatley - Bio

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    Serley Pácheco Leite Barbosa

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    Americana B - Phillis Wheatley - Bio

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    Serley Pácheco Leite Barbosa
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    Americana B - Phillis Wheatley - Bio

    Uploaded by

    Serley Pácheco Leite Barbosa

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 1

    LITERATURA NORTE-AMERICANA B

    Phillis Wheatley (1753 – December 5, 1784), was the first African American female writer to be published in the
    United States. Her book Poems on Various Subjects was published in 1773, two years before the American
    Revolutionary War began, and is seen as one of the first examples of African American literature.

    Early years
    Born in Senegal, she was captured and sold into slavery at the age of 7, Wheatley was brought to America
    in ca. 1760 where John and Susannah Wheatley of Boston, Massachusetts purchased her and converted her to the
    Christian faith. The family of merchants made sure that the intellectually gifted girl receive a good education,
    including study of Latin, Greek, mythology and history. She quickly mastered the English language, with her first
    poem published in 1767 at age 13 in the Newport Mercury. More poems soon followed.

    Poetry
    In 1770 she wrote a poetic tribute on the death of the Calvinist George Whitefield that received
    widespread acclaim in Boston. Her poetry was praised by many of the leading figures of the American
    Revolution, including George Washington, who personally thanked her for a poem she wrote in his honor. This
    praise was not universal. For example, Thomas Jefferson was among the harshest critics of her poetry, writing
    "The heroes of the Dunciad are to her, as Hercules to the author of that poem."
    Phillis' poetry overwhelmingly revolves around a Christian theme, many were dedicated to famous
    personalities. She rarely mentioned her own situation in her poems. One of the few which takes reference to
    slavery is
    "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, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain,
    May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.´

    Because many white people found it hard to believe that a black woman could be so intelligent as to write
    poetry, in 1772 Wheatley had to defend her literary ability in court. She was examined by a group of Boston
    luminaries including John Erving, Reverend Charles Chauncey, John Hancock, Thomas Hutchinson, the governor
    of Massachusetts, and his Lieutenant Governor Andrew Oliver. They concluded that she had in fact written the
    poems ascribed to her and signed an attestation which was published in the preface to her book Poems on Various
    Subjects, Religious and Moral published in Aldgate, London in 1773. The book was published in London because
    publishers in Boston had refused to publish the text. Phillis and her master's son, Nathanial Wheatley, went to
    London, where Selina, Countess of Huntingdon and the Earl of Dartmouth helped with the publication.
    Some critics cite Wheatley's successful defense of her poetry in court and the publication of her book as
    the first official recognition of African American literature.[1]
    In 1778, African American poet Jupiter Hammon wrote an ode to Wheatley. Hammon never mentions
    himself in the poem, but it appears that in choosing Wheatley as a subject, he was acknowledging their common
    bond.

    Later years
    After the death of John and Susannah Wheatley, Phillis married a free black grocer named John Peters. After her
    husband left her, she did domestic work as a servant. Neither hard work nor artistic ability were to bring her
    prosperity, and she died young at age 31 in poverty, her third child only a few hours after her. A second volume
    of poetry she was working on remained lost.

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