Phillis Wheatley: First African-American Poet

by Carol Greene

Recounts how a young African girl was brought to America as a slave, tells how she became a poet, and discusses the difficulties she faced even after she regained her freedom

47 pages, Library Binding

First published December 12, 1941

About the author

Has degrees in English Literature and musicology. She has worked in international exchange programs, as an editor, and as a teacher of writing. Lives in Webster Groves, Missouri.

Reviews

[Amy Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this biography series for children, and this one about Phillis Wheatley highlights one thing I appreciate about the series: it acknowledges the religious faith of the subject. Read this about Phillis Wheatley, and then find a newer children's book about Phillis Wheatley to compare. Carol Greene's text tells us that Phillis's kind owner lovingly taught her to read, using the Bible. We also learn that Phillis became a strong Christian and "her faith in God was very important to her." Phillis's poem which includes the lines, "'Twas mercy brought me from my pagan land / Taught my benighted soul to understand / That there's a God, that there's a Savior too," is found on page 24. Greene tells us that Phillis Wheatley heard George Whitefield preach and wrote a poem in his honor.

Another picture book about Phillis Wheatley, "Phillis Sings Out Freedom," by Ann Malaspina and illustrated by Susan Keeter, has lovely artwork and a well-written text, and yet Phillis's faith in God is barely mentioned, and even then relegated to a list of her poetry topics, "heroes, hurricanes, God, the ocean, Africa, and freedom." The author also mentions "she read the Bible and Greek myths."

It isn't helpful to omit the importance of Christian faith in a person's life, particularly in a biography. While the modern reader may like to believe that religious faith is irrelevant, it is time to realize that we cannot understand what drives people without understanding their religious faith.