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Complete Writings
The extraordinary writings of Phillis Wheatley, a slave girl turned published poetIn 1761, a young girl arrived in Boston on a slave ship, sold to the Wheatley family, and given the name Phillis Wheatley. Struck by Phillis' extraordinary precociousness, the Wheatleys provided her with an education that was unusual for a woman of the time and astonishing for a slave. After studying English and classical literature, geography, the Bible, and Latin, Phillis published her first poem in 1767 at the age of 14, winning much public attention and considerable fame. When Boston publishers who doubted its authenticity rejected an initial collection of her poetry, Wheatley sailed to London in 1773 and found a publisher there for Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.This volume collects both Wheatley's letters and her hymns, elegies, translations, philosophical poems, tales, and epyllions--including a poignant plea to the Earl of Dartmouth urging freedom for America and comparing the country's condition to her own. With her contemplative elegies and her use of the poetic imagination to escape an unsatisfactory world, Wheatley anticipated the Romantic Movement of the following century. The appendices to this edition include poems of Wheatley's contemporary African-American Lucy Terry, Jupiter Harmon, and Francis Williams.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
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About the author
Phillis Wheatley
59 books112 followersPhillis Wheatley (1753 – December 5, 1784?) was the first professional African American poet and the first African-American woman whose writings were published. Born in Gambia, Senegal, she was enslaved at age eight. She was purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston, who taught her to read and write, and helped encourage her poetry.
Born about 1753 in West Africa, she was kidnapped in 1763 and taken to America on a slave ship called The Phillis (this is where she got her name). She was purchased in Boston by John Wheatley. Wheatley and his wife Mary instructed the young girl and encouraged her education including study of Latin and history. Mrs.Wheatley arranged for Phillis to work around the house and allowed Mary Wheatley to tutor Phillis. Mary Wheatley taught Phillis science, geography, and history. Phillis was also taught English and studied the American Bible extensively. Within 2 ½ years of joining the Wheatley family, Phillis was fully literate. At the age of 12 she was reading the Greek and Latin classics, and passages from the Bible. This amazed the Wheatleys. Phillis was encouraged to continue to learn and was allowed to express herself, so much so she was also provided pen and paper on her nightstand in case she was inspired to write during the night.
In 1773, Phillis Wheatley was sent to London with Nathaniel Wheatley. However Wheatley’s visit did not go unnoticed. She held an audience with the Lord Mayor of London, she was also scheduled to have a session where she recited a poem to George III was arranged, but Phillis returned home before expected. A collection of her poetry was also published in London during this visit. Wheatley was free of slavery, but not given the full rights of a free woman. On October 18, 1773 she was given this "freedom" as a result of her popularity and influence as a poet.
In 1775, she published a poem celebrating George Washington entitled, “To his Excellency General Washington.” In 1776, Washington invited Wheatley to his home as thanks for the poem. Wheatley was a supporter of the American Revolution, but the war hurt the publication of her poetry because readers were swept up in the war and seemingly uninterested in poetry.
In 1778, Phillis was legally freed when her master John Wheatley died. Three months later, Phillis married John Peters, a free black grocer. Wheatley was unable to publish another volume of her poetry. Wheatley’s husband, John Peters, was imprisoned for debt in 1784, leaving an impoverished Wheatley behind with a sickly infant daughter, Eliza. Wheatley became a scullery maid at a boarding house, forced into domestic labor that she had avoided earlier in life while enslaved. Wheatley died alone on December 5, 1784, at age 31.
Phillis Wheatley, like most authors, wrote about what she knew or experienced. She believed that the power of poetry is immeasurable.
Born about 1753 in West Africa, she was kidnapped in 1763 and taken to America on a slave ship called The Phillis (this is where she got her name). She was purchased in Boston by John Wheatley. Wheatley and his wife Mary instructed the young girl and encouraged her education including study of Latin and history. Mrs.Wheatley arranged for Phillis to work around the house and allowed Mary Wheatley to tutor Phillis. Mary Wheatley taught Phillis science, geography, and history. Phillis was also taught English and studied the American Bible extensively. Within 2 ½ years of joining the Wheatley family, Phillis was fully literate. At the age of 12 she was reading the Greek and Latin classics, and passages from the Bible. This amazed the Wheatleys. Phillis was encouraged to continue to learn and was allowed to express herself, so much so she was also provided pen and paper on her nightstand in case she was inspired to write during the night.
In 1773, Phillis Wheatley was sent to London with Nathaniel Wheatley. However Wheatley’s visit did not go unnoticed. She held an audience with the Lord Mayor of London, she was also scheduled to have a session where she recited a poem to George III was arranged, but Phillis returned home before expected. A collection of her poetry was also published in London during this visit. Wheatley was free of slavery, but not given the full rights of a free woman. On October 18, 1773 she was given this "freedom" as a result of her popularity and influence as a poet.
In 1775, she published a poem celebrating George Washington entitled, “To his Excellency General Washington.” In 1776, Washington invited Wheatley to his home as thanks for the poem. Wheatley was a supporter of the American Revolution, but the war hurt the publication of her poetry because readers were swept up in the war and seemingly uninterested in poetry.
In 1778, Phillis was legally freed when her master John Wheatley died. Three months later, Phillis married John Peters, a free black grocer. Wheatley was unable to publish another volume of her poetry. Wheatley’s husband, John Peters, was imprisoned for debt in 1784, leaving an impoverished Wheatley behind with a sickly infant daughter, Eliza. Wheatley became a scullery maid at a boarding house, forced into domestic labor that she had avoided earlier in life while enslaved. Wheatley died alone on December 5, 1784, at age 31.
Phillis Wheatley, like most authors, wrote about what she knew or experienced. She believed that the power of poetry is immeasurable.
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June 7, 2021
The story of Phillis Wheatley is nothing short of remarkable. She wrote poetry that includes elegies, epithalamiums, and letters. Stepping into this book was a historical journey into the life of a famous poet who turned her limitations into opportunities. Once she began to write, she couldn't stop, especially during a time when slaves were not permitted to read, write, and learn.
Phillis was brought from Africa to Boston as a little girl (about seven or eight years old) on a slave ship known as the Phillis. John Wheatley, a prosperous merchant in Boston purchased Phillis for his wife Susanna. She took on the surname of Wheatley. Through the instruction of Mary Wheatley, the Wheatley's twin daughter, Phillis gained an extraordinary education, which was unprecedented for a female slave. She was taught English and Classical literature (poetry), geography, history, Latin, and Christianity.
Although she was known as the first published female poet of African descent, she was not the first Black woman poet, the first published Black poet, nor the first Black poet to gain international notice in British America. Yet, Wheatley far surpassed her Black predecessors. She wrote thirty-eight pieces of poetry on different subjects, that were published in 1773.
The literary quality of Wheatley's poetry, usually in combination with that of Sancho's Letters, was frequently cited by opponents of slavery and the slave trade, especially in Britain, as evidence of the humanity and inherent equality of Africans. This book of her poetry and letters on various subjects (liberty, peace, elegies, challenges) are life lessons through observation and experience. You can feel her compassion and tenderness in her writing, despite her vernacular hailing from a specific period.
The poem included in this collection that emotionally gripped my heart was her glimpse of being taken from Africa through captivity: 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, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.
In April 1778, Phillis Wheatley married John Peters, a free Black man, thus taking his surname thereafter. They had three children, all of whom died very early. The last child died with Phillis on Sunday, December 5, 1784.
This book is a great collection to add to your poetry library. As with practically any book of poetry, you can't rush through it like a novel, magazine, or self-help book. You savor the emotions through the experiences, and you connect through the vernacular of the poet and her story.
Phillis was brought from Africa to Boston as a little girl (about seven or eight years old) on a slave ship known as the Phillis. John Wheatley, a prosperous merchant in Boston purchased Phillis for his wife Susanna. She took on the surname of Wheatley. Through the instruction of Mary Wheatley, the Wheatley's twin daughter, Phillis gained an extraordinary education, which was unprecedented for a female slave. She was taught English and Classical literature (poetry), geography, history, Latin, and Christianity.
Although she was known as the first published female poet of African descent, she was not the first Black woman poet, the first published Black poet, nor the first Black poet to gain international notice in British America. Yet, Wheatley far surpassed her Black predecessors. She wrote thirty-eight pieces of poetry on different subjects, that were published in 1773.
The literary quality of Wheatley's poetry, usually in combination with that of Sancho's Letters, was frequently cited by opponents of slavery and the slave trade, especially in Britain, as evidence of the humanity and inherent equality of Africans. This book of her poetry and letters on various subjects (liberty, peace, elegies, challenges) are life lessons through observation and experience. You can feel her compassion and tenderness in her writing, despite her vernacular hailing from a specific period.
The poem included in this collection that emotionally gripped my heart was her glimpse of being taken from Africa through captivity: 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, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.
In April 1778, Phillis Wheatley married John Peters, a free Black man, thus taking his surname thereafter. They had three children, all of whom died very early. The last child died with Phillis on Sunday, December 5, 1784.
This book is a great collection to add to your poetry library. As with practically any book of poetry, you can't rush through it like a novel, magazine, or self-help book. You savor the emotions through the experiences, and you connect through the vernacular of the poet and her story.
December 16, 2012
As a note to start - I read only the introductory material, concluding notes, and "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral", not the extant poems, variants of published poems, and letters. I'm still considering this done because I don't feel reading every variant of a poem is necessary (and what I read was her only published work).
It's hard to review a collection like this. Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped and enslaved, brought to America around eight years old. She showed an aptitude for learning and was taught to read and write, and wrote these poems at a very young age. She was one of the very first published African-American writers, and the most influential of her time (see my next review for the challenge she had to face in having her work authenticated, as most did not believe an African-American could write poetry).
So the historical aspect is absolutely fascinating. The poems, on the other hand, are a hard slog. There are some beauties, but the style of the late 1700s is not one that resonates well with a modern reader. Poems telling parents/spouses/etc who have lost a loved one not to grieve because the dead are now in heaven with God - a tough sell for me. And there are a *lot* of those in here - I'd say they make up the majority. The language and rhythm of the poems are also very stale, though her talent is quite clear.
Still, there are a few that are very good (on Goliath, and Imagination in particular) and "To the Right Honourable WILLIAM, Earl of DARTMOUTH" contains the extraordinary passage "Should you, my lord, while you peruse my song / Wonder from whence my love of Freedom sprung [...] I, young in life, by seeming cruel fate / Was snatch'd from Afric's fancy'd happy seat: What pangs excruciating must molest, What sorrows labour in my parent's breast? Steel'd was that soul and by no misery mov'd / That from a father seiz'd his babe belov'd: Such, such my case. And can I then but pray / Others may never feel tyrannic sway?" Considering that Wheatley apparently fell far out of fashion for another poem where she does, admittedly, seem to support slavery since it brought her to Christianity (though that's a fairly limited reading of the verse), this is quite a bold passage that clearly shows, despite whatever advantages she's been given (education, travel, religion), she still opposes the practice of slavery. If you only wanted to taste Wheatley's writing, I'd suggest finding this poem.
On the whole, I gave this 3 stars, but to Phillis Wheatley herself, for her life and her efforts, I give her 5 stars, and even though I've been working away at this book for almost six months, I'm glad I gave it a try.
It's hard to review a collection like this. Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped and enslaved, brought to America around eight years old. She showed an aptitude for learning and was taught to read and write, and wrote these poems at a very young age. She was one of the very first published African-American writers, and the most influential of her time (see my next review for the challenge she had to face in having her work authenticated, as most did not believe an African-American could write poetry).
So the historical aspect is absolutely fascinating. The poems, on the other hand, are a hard slog. There are some beauties, but the style of the late 1700s is not one that resonates well with a modern reader. Poems telling parents/spouses/etc who have lost a loved one not to grieve because the dead are now in heaven with God - a tough sell for me. And there are a *lot* of those in here - I'd say they make up the majority. The language and rhythm of the poems are also very stale, though her talent is quite clear.
Still, there are a few that are very good (on Goliath, and Imagination in particular) and "To the Right Honourable WILLIAM, Earl of DARTMOUTH" contains the extraordinary passage "Should you, my lord, while you peruse my song / Wonder from whence my love of Freedom sprung [...] I, young in life, by seeming cruel fate / Was snatch'd from Afric's fancy'd happy seat: What pangs excruciating must molest, What sorrows labour in my parent's breast? Steel'd was that soul and by no misery mov'd / That from a father seiz'd his babe belov'd: Such, such my case. And can I then but pray / Others may never feel tyrannic sway?" Considering that Wheatley apparently fell far out of fashion for another poem where she does, admittedly, seem to support slavery since it brought her to Christianity (though that's a fairly limited reading of the verse), this is quite a bold passage that clearly shows, despite whatever advantages she's been given (education, travel, religion), she still opposes the practice of slavery. If you only wanted to taste Wheatley's writing, I'd suggest finding this poem.
On the whole, I gave this 3 stars, but to Phillis Wheatley herself, for her life and her efforts, I give her 5 stars, and even though I've been working away at this book for almost six months, I'm glad I gave it a try.
January 11, 2023
This is a difficult book to rate because it’s more interesting as a historical document than as a book of poems. The poems themselves read like what they are: an extraordinarily talented young woman’s juvenilia. The subject matter is almost entirely religious and the poems are mostly written in heroic couplets. Poems of this sort are tedious for me and probably for most modern readers.
Yet it’s impossible to separate Phillis’s poems from her astonishing life story. To call her a genius is an understatement. Unfortunately, modern readers can only speculate what she could have created had she been entirely free to develop to her craft.
As a side note: Phillis was obviously a woman of deep and profound faith. Her masters imposed religion upon her, though. I’m not questioning the sincerity of Phillis’s faith, but the horrifying context through which she was acquainted with Christianity adds a tragic element to the religious subject matter of the poems.
So: not enjoyable in the conventional sense, but essential reading.
Yet it’s impossible to separate Phillis’s poems from her astonishing life story. To call her a genius is an understatement. Unfortunately, modern readers can only speculate what she could have created had she been entirely free to develop to her craft.
As a side note: Phillis was obviously a woman of deep and profound faith. Her masters imposed religion upon her, though. I’m not questioning the sincerity of Phillis’s faith, but the horrifying context through which she was acquainted with Christianity adds a tragic element to the religious subject matter of the poems.
So: not enjoyable in the conventional sense, but essential reading.
April 8, 2024
3.5
I want to revisit this when i’m not in the middle of uni essays because i loved the writing and the poems were great but i had to speed read and so all the poems kind of melted into one thing
I want to revisit this when i’m not in the middle of uni essays because i loved the writing and the poems were great but i had to speed read and so all the poems kind of melted into one thing
February 17, 2024
it's been a long time since I read a book of poetry cover to cover. I had read some of Wheatley's poetry but this volume includes a great introduction by the one and only Vincent Carretta, and contains a lot of her letters too.
It is interesting to see how Wheatley is immersed in Christianity to the point that sometimes her stances in favor of Christianity seem to be above her position towards slavery; although it is fundamental to point that she has a visible and constant animosity against slavery and she does not refrain from opposing it. Wheatley's poetry is a display of how in colonial America, the dominant belief was that independence would put an end to the question of slavery as slavery was considered to be a British issue.
Another thing that I liked about it is witnessing her transition as a didactic poet to a patriotic poet who would compose poetry to praise America. Wheatley's enthusiasm about the advent of American Revolution, and its equivalence to universal freedom, is another evidence to how she was no exception in thinking that the American Revolution would be a harbinger of universal freedom.
It is interesting to see how Wheatley is immersed in Christianity to the point that sometimes her stances in favor of Christianity seem to be above her position towards slavery; although it is fundamental to point that she has a visible and constant animosity against slavery and she does not refrain from opposing it. Wheatley's poetry is a display of how in colonial America, the dominant belief was that independence would put an end to the question of slavery as slavery was considered to be a British issue.
Another thing that I liked about it is witnessing her transition as a didactic poet to a patriotic poet who would compose poetry to praise America. Wheatley's enthusiasm about the advent of American Revolution, and its equivalence to universal freedom, is another evidence to how she was no exception in thinking that the American Revolution would be a harbinger of universal freedom.
February 27, 2024
(read for class) you know it, you love it. the most nuanced poetry in American history
September 4, 2010
(I only read excerpts from this collection) This style of poetry is not my cup of tea, but the woman behind it is inspiring. A black slave is brought over to America and despite all that is pitted against her because of her race and social status, she learns to read and write. Beyond that, she becomes an artist. She often writes in iambic pentameter with an intense understanding for poetic traditions that came long before her (Homeric for example). Her audacity and sheer courage to write to such figuers as George Washington who was a known supporter of slavery shines through in this collection of poems and letters. Wheatley should be rightfully seen as one of the founding mothers of American literature.
February 11, 2023
As I admitted in my Philip Larkin review, I don't know that I've ever been much of a poetry reader. At least in terms of reading a collection by one author, I usually haven't done much of that, though I'm doing so over the last few years. And the author of this particular collection is a historic one, in terms of being the first poet of African descent to have her verse published in the Americas.
"Complete Writings" by Phillis Wheatley is an important collection of all of her writings, mostly poems but also letters that she wrote (many of which I merely glanced at, to be honest). The selling point here is the poetry: included in full are her singular collection "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" and her other works, which were not published during her lifetime. Taken together, they present us a window into eighteenth century life, both before and after the American Revolution.
I've heard in academic circles that many believe that you can take Wheatley's poems at surface level (which means that she did a fair amount of appealing to the "education" she received as an enslaved person in New England, from the family that owned her and which gave her her name), or you can read it on a more subversive level (she's letting slip in her verse sentiments which wouldn't be obvious unless you knew to look for them). Either way, her poems range in subject from celebrations to laments (an awful lot of laments, as many poems are dedicated to the families of recently deceased children or loved ones), and they're pretty good. I found myself putting off really starting this collection just because I had other books that I was trying to work on, but I picked this up last night and found myself getting sucked in to reading all the poems. I really enjoyed the experience of seeing Wheatley's poetic gifts come alive on the page. There is a fear on some level that just because someone is "the first" to do something that they won't in fact be "the best," but Wheatley deserves consideration not just for her place in history but for her place in literature as well. The verse backs up the fact that she'd become the first woman of African descent to be published in the New World. Would that she had lived long enough to follow it up with more work.
The rest of the collection here includes poems that she wrote but never published in her lifetime, or that weren't included in her one collection. These are worth reading as well. The rest of the book is given over to variants of the poems in her collection, as well as some letters, none of which I really dived into at this reading (though I may revisit them sometime, as I plan to keep my copy of this book). I can say that, based on the poems alone, this is an essential addition to any readers' library.
"Complete Writings" by Phillis Wheatley is an important collection of all of her writings, mostly poems but also letters that she wrote (many of which I merely glanced at, to be honest). The selling point here is the poetry: included in full are her singular collection "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral" and her other works, which were not published during her lifetime. Taken together, they present us a window into eighteenth century life, both before and after the American Revolution.
I've heard in academic circles that many believe that you can take Wheatley's poems at surface level (which means that she did a fair amount of appealing to the "education" she received as an enslaved person in New England, from the family that owned her and which gave her her name), or you can read it on a more subversive level (she's letting slip in her verse sentiments which wouldn't be obvious unless you knew to look for them). Either way, her poems range in subject from celebrations to laments (an awful lot of laments, as many poems are dedicated to the families of recently deceased children or loved ones), and they're pretty good. I found myself putting off really starting this collection just because I had other books that I was trying to work on, but I picked this up last night and found myself getting sucked in to reading all the poems. I really enjoyed the experience of seeing Wheatley's poetic gifts come alive on the page. There is a fear on some level that just because someone is "the first" to do something that they won't in fact be "the best," but Wheatley deserves consideration not just for her place in history but for her place in literature as well. The verse backs up the fact that she'd become the first woman of African descent to be published in the New World. Would that she had lived long enough to follow it up with more work.
The rest of the collection here includes poems that she wrote but never published in her lifetime, or that weren't included in her one collection. These are worth reading as well. The rest of the book is given over to variants of the poems in her collection, as well as some letters, none of which I really dived into at this reading (though I may revisit them sometime, as I plan to keep my copy of this book). I can say that, based on the poems alone, this is an essential addition to any readers' library.
March 1, 2021
I didn’t finish this entire book. I read the introduction and the Poems on Various Subjects (Wheatley’s published book of poems), and her extant unpublished poems. I then skimmed the variants of her poems, and the letters and whatnot at the end of the book.
The poetry style is lovely, but the content is difficult for a modern-day reader. It was hard to read so much severe religiosity and so many poems telling mourners to be happy after the death of a loved one! Also, reading the published writings of a slave woman who was so deeply assimilated into colonial culture was gross and difficult. Wheatley really did have an extraordinary life experience and I enjoyed learning about her.
The poetry style is lovely, but the content is difficult for a modern-day reader. It was hard to read so much severe religiosity and so many poems telling mourners to be happy after the death of a loved one! Also, reading the published writings of a slave woman who was so deeply assimilated into colonial culture was gross and difficult. Wheatley really did have an extraordinary life experience and I enjoyed learning about her.
August 2, 2024
I liked the end notes this version had! I only wished I realized where they were earlier so I could I have read them with the poems, instead of finishing the book and getting all the context, which was fine, I didn't really need it, but it was still interesting! Very cool to read her complete works and see what I've read in class in the context of her life!
May 30, 2021
My daughter and I studied early American history this year through picture books and early readers. I have always been drawn to Phillis Wheatley’s story. This was the perfect year to delve into her writings. Much of her poetry was quite sad as she wrote of the deaths of many in her congregation and community. It also felt redundant at times. I loved her poem about David and Goliath. That was probably my favorite poem. The crowning glory of this book for me were her letters! They were full of such hope. She was a woman of great faith and I was deeply encouraged by her thoughts and sentiments to her friends/people in her sphere of influence. Her letters alone are worth the read. I wish there were more of them!
Read
September 24, 2024read half of this for a class. a super important moment of history, not because of her superior writing, but because of how she had to whitewash her words to get them published. her self-inflicted racism is hard to read.
September 15, 2023
reread
i had a professor who was obsessed with her in college
i had a professor who was obsessed with her in college
December 26, 2022
She’s a a legend that’s taught for a reason. It’s older poetry, but beautiful nonetheless. I’m glad to have finally finished it up and got all that juicy context.
March 24, 2021
It was less interesting than I expected, and I actually skipped over the variant poems.
Read
February 15, 2021Wheatley's poems are extremely interesting and engaging. The one thing I will say is that there is a lot of research/reading needed to even make the poetry accessible (i.e., for the reader to really grasp the full significance of the poem). I highly suggest reading the intro as well as the first three letters directly preceding the first poem.
Another word of caution: as is probably logical, while Wheatley's poems are fantastic, I would say that readers should really think about her legacy and the historical context when reading her poetry. While this is true for all authors/poets, I find this especially true. Furthermore, be ready to deal with jarring words/imagery (again, very much a product of the time)
Another word of caution: as is probably logical, while Wheatley's poems are fantastic, I would say that readers should really think about her legacy and the historical context when reading her poetry. While this is true for all authors/poets, I find this especially true. Furthermore, be ready to deal with jarring words/imagery (again, very much a product of the time)
July 7, 2015
Phillis Wheatley's story is one that any poetry lover or history lover would appreciate. Phillis was brought over to America on a slave ship in 1761 when she was about age 7. She was bought by the Wheatley family as a domestic servant. Unlike most slave owners, the Wheatley's educated their servants. In less that ten years, Phillis proved to be not only a quick learner but a gifted poet. She was the first published woman of African descent. You will be so impressed by her poems and testimony.
March 31, 2022
The primary interest of this work is historical as Wheatley is the first African American woman and slave to write a poetry collection in a time when African slaves often had limited education and restricted access to it. The poems themselves are a bit derivative and not overly interesting or original. Not exactly bad poetry, not exactly good either; they are just okay.
The majority of poems are addressed to a person with a recently deceased family member and tries to console them for their loss by appealing to Christian themes that the deceased is in a better place. The Christian themes of salvation are prominent in these poems; Wheatley suggests in some of her poems that coming to know Jesus and God was the primary good that came from her captivity. The most interesting poem is her “Goliath” which fuses the Biblical narrative with elements of Ancient Greek Epic. She also wrote a poem addressed directly to General George Washington prior to Independence as well as a poem against atheists and one against deists.
In addition, the collection includes her letters. For those expecting denunciations against the evils of slavery, most of her letters and poems barely touch on the issue, although there are a few references here and there. They mostly express her intense religiosity and faith. In her letters and poems, she implies that she is grateful to her former masters John and Susanna Wheatley who were more like parents and friends to her than harsh overlords and speaks often about being given the chance to convert to Christianity. Eventually the Wheatley’s emancipated her. After the death of her former mistress Phillis writes,
“By the great loss I have Sustain’d of my best friend, I feel like One [fo]fsaken by her parent in a desolate wilderness, for Such the world
Appears to [me], wandring thus without my friendly guide (158).” - from a letter to John Thornton Esqr. Merchant London
In one of her more interesting letters Phillis Wheatley addresses slavery by noting that God has given the desire for freedom as part of the nature of every human and the religious freedom that comes with Christianity brings civil liberties (153). In the same letter she also calls out the hypocrisy of those who would defend liberty, while at the same to enslaving others out of greed. A few of the letters and poems such as the one addressed to General Washington also express a strong sense of patriotism, suggesting she believed in the potential of the American experiment.
The majority of poems are addressed to a person with a recently deceased family member and tries to console them for their loss by appealing to Christian themes that the deceased is in a better place. The Christian themes of salvation are prominent in these poems; Wheatley suggests in some of her poems that coming to know Jesus and God was the primary good that came from her captivity. The most interesting poem is her “Goliath” which fuses the Biblical narrative with elements of Ancient Greek Epic. She also wrote a poem addressed directly to General George Washington prior to Independence as well as a poem against atheists and one against deists.
In addition, the collection includes her letters. For those expecting denunciations against the evils of slavery, most of her letters and poems barely touch on the issue, although there are a few references here and there. They mostly express her intense religiosity and faith. In her letters and poems, she implies that she is grateful to her former masters John and Susanna Wheatley who were more like parents and friends to her than harsh overlords and speaks often about being given the chance to convert to Christianity. Eventually the Wheatley’s emancipated her. After the death of her former mistress Phillis writes,
“By the great loss I have Sustain’d of my best friend, I feel like One [fo]fsaken by her parent in a desolate wilderness, for Such the world
Appears to [me], wandring thus without my friendly guide (158).” - from a letter to John Thornton Esqr. Merchant London
In one of her more interesting letters Phillis Wheatley addresses slavery by noting that God has given the desire for freedom as part of the nature of every human and the religious freedom that comes with Christianity brings civil liberties (153). In the same letter she also calls out the hypocrisy of those who would defend liberty, while at the same to enslaving others out of greed. A few of the letters and poems such as the one addressed to General Washington also express a strong sense of patriotism, suggesting she believed in the potential of the American experiment.
April 29, 2023
I had mixed feelings about "starring" this book because while I was impressed by the brilliance of this young woman -- as a young girl she was sold as a slave to an American family and then, in just a few years, not only taught herself how to read English but turned out an amazing number of poems the equal of anyone else writing at the time!!! -- yet, the poems are written in the 18th century style of lush, flowery, and wordy language that I honestly could not read more than a few of them at one sitting! Moreover, I suspect that the vast majority of readers today would have the same reaction to them and, hence, I really cannot recommend this book.
As a slave in America she was, of course, Black. For that reason -- coupled with her obvious high intelligence -- we must remember and celebrate her as a national treasure. Her published poetry won her national attention and international fame before she was 20!!! Unfortunately, we do not know her real name. "Phillis" was the name of the ship she arrived in Boston on, and "Wheatley" was the name of the married couple who bought her. (Doesn't that sound justly ugly! That she was "bought!?)
Unfortunately, she had a relatively hard life after she was granted her emancipation: she married and had children but her little family struggled to escape poverty and she, and all of her three children, died young. She died in December of 1784, when she was around 30 or 31, and was buried in an unmarked grave.
Thanks to Penguin Classics for preserving the writings of this remarkable person!
As a slave in America she was, of course, Black. For that reason -- coupled with her obvious high intelligence -- we must remember and celebrate her as a national treasure. Her published poetry won her national attention and international fame before she was 20!!! Unfortunately, we do not know her real name. "Phillis" was the name of the ship she arrived in Boston on, and "Wheatley" was the name of the married couple who bought her. (Doesn't that sound justly ugly! That she was "bought!?)
Unfortunately, she had a relatively hard life after she was granted her emancipation: she married and had children but her little family struggled to escape poverty and she, and all of her three children, died young. She died in December of 1784, when she was around 30 or 31, and was buried in an unmarked grave.
Thanks to Penguin Classics for preserving the writings of this remarkable person!
March 17, 2025
This was an academic read.
My rating is more for this specific edition than for the poems themselves — obviously these poems have great merit and changed the landscape. Phillis Wheatley Peters’ work is presented very clearly here — I appreciated the introduction as well as the variant poems and letters included. I do wish the end material had been part of the introduction instead. Also acknowledging that the current scholarly zeitgeist is to refer to Wheatley Peters by her married name, but this edition was published a while back so I’m not going to knock it for that.
My rating is more for this specific edition than for the poems themselves — obviously these poems have great merit and changed the landscape. Phillis Wheatley Peters’ work is presented very clearly here — I appreciated the introduction as well as the variant poems and letters included. I do wish the end material had been part of the introduction instead. Also acknowledging that the current scholarly zeitgeist is to refer to Wheatley Peters by her married name, but this edition was published a while back so I’m not going to knock it for that.
March 16, 2018
Wheatley's is a deeply fascinating story and the poetry is truly lovely even though I found it too difficult to emotionally connect to the largely religious themes and references. Still, I very much enjoyed other aspects of this reading.
However, as with other slave narratives, I despaired at Wheatley's insistent use of the trope of colonialism and slavery being necessary evils in order to deliver people to Christianity.
However, as with other slave narratives, I despaired at Wheatley's insistent use of the trope of colonialism and slavery being necessary evils in order to deliver people to Christianity.
March 12, 2022
For my level of interest, the complete writings were probably unnecessary. Admittedly, I didn’t read every word and skimmed a fair amount. But the introduction about Phillis was interesting and helped to make several of the selections and letters more noteworthy. Her poetry style doesn’t speak to me (or most modern readers, I’d guess), but Phillis Wheatley certainly was remarkable in her time and in what she accomplished.
November 14, 2024
Very much a work of its period and locale (later 1700's in America's colonial New England). Most poems are odes do survivors of deceased love ones and children. I found the best were those of praise to notable people in Phillis's life. Overall I found the poems to be emulative rather than original; more stilted than stimulated. I recommend skippiung this except for those who may be interested in a first hand familiarity with what amounts to an historical artifact as I was.
October 18, 2020
Phillis Wheatley was an extraordinary writer especially when you view her in a historical context. She wrote in time when she was stolen from her homeland by Christians, that enslaved her and saw her more beastly than human. Her unique colonial life experience, is painfully and joyfully evident in her writings.
October 31, 2024
I’ve never written a review before, but I felt this was necessary because of my low rating. Phillis Wheatley has an extraordinary life story, and I highly recommend anyone who doesn’t know who she is to take the time to learn about her. With that said, I absolutely did not enjoy reading her poetry. It’s bland, monotonous, outdated, and panders to a white Christian audience.
March 16, 2023
It took a little time to understand the language of 1700's English. I enjoyed this look back to a time before me and the start of this new nation. I recommend this book to those interested in a bit of history or just like poetry.
April 9, 2023
Read a selection of her poetry and letters for HUMS3000 at Carleton University. She is a wonderful poet today, but especially considering the time and socioeconomic position as a woman of color she was writing in.
April 27, 2025
It was a tough read because the style of the poetry is from colonial times. But this girl could sure write complex poems. They would have probably been more relevant and appreciated at the time she was writing them . 17 yrs old to write such poetry and not really having a formal education.
May 29, 2025
Many of the epic poems were well written and imaginative her use of symbolism shows her command of the language… many of the poems were reimagined versions of the original which mostly I did not read for the sake of not wanting to repeat myself…
April 20, 2021
Her poetry was okay. I am not a huge fan of american poetry, so I can understand how she was very good, but the genre just doesn't strike my fancy.
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