Pierce ENG 350 American Literature I 2 September 2011 Response paper 3: “On Being Brought from Africa to America” To the literary world‚ Phillis Wheatley is recognized as the first black American poet (Archiving Early America‚ 2011). At the young age of seven‚ Phillis Wheatley was stolen from her homeland of Africa and sold into slavery to John Wheatley becoming the personal slave servant to his wife‚ Susannah Wheatley. She was taught to read and write English as well as the study of Latin and
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As any female figure from this Puritan time‚ Bradstreet faced a world dominated by men and prejudice. Several years later‚ Wheatley also faced racial prejudices with the same gender discrimination that Bradstreet had endured a century before. Bradstreet’s goal was to rebrand how women was viewed through the lens of a Puritan society. Bradstreet uses the Prologue to show society the stereotypes imposed by Puritanism. The statement “I am vulnerable to each scornful tongue who says my hand a needle
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Phillis Wheatley was a talented writer and a colored woman who was able to overcome great odds and give herself a voice. More so‚ her voice was one that was equal to the great minds in her time. She was brought to the American colonies a young slave girl. After gaining an education and her freedom‚ she began to write and give a voice to her and her oppressed people. Sadly‚ even though she gained her freedom‚ she would be faced with a lifetime of struggles against racism and poverty. In her works
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In the poem‚ “On Being Brought from Africa to America‚” by Phillis Wheatley‚ Wheatley encourages the apprehension of individual rights by letting the white colonists be aware that she has the authority of following any religion she desires and gets presented to her‚ therefore she favors Christianity. In fact‚ Wheatley demonstrates how she admires God over nature. In the poem she states‚ “ taught my benighted soul to understand that there’s a God (and) a Saviour too (2-3).” Wheatley usage of “benighted
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poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley and her biography. I found her life to be extraordinary. She lived a tragic life‚ but was successful in her work and kept a strong faith in God. She was brought to America at a very young age as a slave. I cannot imagine how frightened she must have been leaving her homeland and being taken by strangers. However‚ in her poem she came to reconcile with it and thought that it was by the grace of God that she was brought to America. Wheatley
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life as a slave. Finally‚ he writes about how he became his own master‚ becoming a freeman from being a slave – which in fact was the happiest day of his life. “On Being Brought from Africa to America” - Phillis Wheatley
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Phillis Wheatley was one of the most iconic African- American poet. Her poems are the voice of the people who were treated as slaves. The short poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” was story of her life‚ and how she used Bible as a weapon to fight for the equality. In the beginning words of “On Being Brought from Africa to America‚” Wheatley used the word “mercy”. I think Wheatley used it because being brought to America‚ the land of Christianity‚ was the chance for her “benighted soul”
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Phyllis Wheatley was born in 1753 in West Africa. Wheatley was brought from Africa to Boston by a ship called Phillis. She was then sold to Wheatley family. Hence‚ the name Phyllis Wheatley. The Wheatley family was supportive of Phyllis education‚ their daughter and son helped educate her. Her first poem was published in the newpaper in 1767. Pyllis traveled to london‚ in hopes of meeting the Countess. The countess was unable to meet with Phyllis‚ but helped her published her volume of poems. When
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“The real names of our people were destroyed during slavery. The last name of my forefathers was taken from them when they were brought to America and made slaves‚ and then the name of the slave master was given‚”- Malcolm X. He is saying that slavery took away who you were‚ and all of your basic rights‚ and political writing was one of the ways of getting it back. In African-American history‚ literature has been used in many different ways‚ one of the most common ways was political writing. Different
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authorship‚ in her poems “On Being Brought From Africa to America” and “To His Excellency General Washington”‚ Wheatley minimizes her own voice and talent to maintain jurisdiction over her work. In proclaiming her subservient position in her poetry‚ Wheatley takes agency of her voice. Without much choice‚ she consciously lowers herself in her writing so that the majority of people in her time might listen. In writing about her enslavement‚ Wheatley states‚ “’Twas mercy brought me from my pagan land‚ / Taught
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