Poems:
http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/206/poems-on-various-subjects-religious-and-moral/4891/an-hymn-to-the-morning/
1. An Hymn To The Morning
ATTEND my lays, ye ever honour'd nine,
Assist my labours, and my strains
refine;
In smoothest numbers pour the notes along,
For bright Aurora now
demands my song.
Aurora hail, and all the thousand dies,
Which deck thy
progress through the vaulted skies:
The morn awakes, and wide extends her
rays,
On ev'ry leaf the gentle zephyr plays;
Harmonious lays the feather'd
race resume,
Dart the bright eye, and shake the painted plume.
Ye shady
groves, your verdant gloom display
To shield your poet from the burning
day:
Calliope awake the sacred lyre,
While thy fair sisters fan the
pleasing fire:
The bow'rs, the gales, the variegated skies
In all their
pleasures in my bosom rise.
See in the east th' illustrious king of
day!
His rising radiance drives the shades away--
But Oh! I feel his
fervid beams too strong,
And scarce begun, concludes th' abortive song.
Phillis Wheatley
Analysis:
In this poem, Phillis Wheatley tries to express that every living thing on
Earth, should be loved and respected, no matter how small or big it might be.
She also wants us to value the little pleasures, nature provides us with, and to
understand that happiness can also be found in little things.
Writing Features:
Some writing features used in this poem include personification, rhyming words and metaphors. Phillis Wheatley uses personification in the phrase "His rising radiance drives the shades away", here she is talking about the sun (who she's referring to as a "he") and how, when the sun rises all the darkness of the night is consumed by light. Rhyming words are used by Wheatley to end off each phrase, an example, would be the ending words of the last two phrases "strong and song." One of the metaphors Wheatley used is "Dart the bright eye, and shake the painted plume", here I believe she is comparing a birds eye, when sunlight is shinning on it, to a bright eye and a painted plume to a dark slave, who shakes in fear, at the thought of another day of hard work.
2. On Being Brought from Africa to America
http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/206/poems-on-various-subjects-religious-and-moral/4871/on-being-brought-from-africa/
'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, Negro's,
black as Cain,
May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.
Phillis Wheatley
Analysis:
In this poem, Phillis Wheatley writes in a slaves point of view, where she believes it was due to "mercy", that, they are taken away from their home land to a foreign land. And it was due to this same "mercy", that Christianity was bestowed apon them. Then Phillis goes on and states "Some view our sable race with scornful eye. Their colour is a diabolic die." By this , she means that some people view the dark race as unworthy to exist and that their skin colour symbolizes negativity. In the end, Wheatley ends off with her belief, that Christians and Negro's, both can be purified by joining the culture Christianity.
Writing Features:
Some writing features used in this poem include similies, hyperboles, rhyming words and metaphors. Phillis used similies in the phrase"black as Cain," where she is comparing the colour black to a Cain. Wheatley uses hyperboles in the phrase "Their colour is a diabolic die", where she may be taking it a little too far and exaggerating a bit. Rhyming words are used again by Phillis to end off phrases. A metaphor used would include "Their colour is a diabolic die", since she is comparing a dark person's skin colour to some-sort of characteristic.
3. To S. M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works
TO show the lab'ring bosom's deep intent,
And thought in living characters to
paint,
When first thy pencil did those beauties give,
And breathing
figures learnt from thee to live,
How did those prospects give my soul
delight,
A new creation rushing on my sight?
Still, wond'rous youth! each
noble path pursue,
On deathless glories fix thine ardent view:
Still may
the painter's and the poet's fire
To aid thy pencil, and thy verse
conspire!
And may the charms of each seraphic theme
Conduct thy footsteps
to immortal fame!
High to the blissful wonders of the skies
Elate thy
soul, and raise thy wishful eyes.
Thrice happy, when exalted to
survey
That splendid city, crown'd with endless day,
Whose twice six gates
on radiant hinges ring:
Celestial Salem blooms in endless spring.
Calm
and serene thy moments glide along,
And may the muse inspire each future
song!
Still, with the sweets of contemplation bless'd,
May peace with
balmy wings your soul invest!
But when these shades of time are chas'd
away,
And darkness ends in everlasting day,
On what seraphic pinions shall
we move,
And view the landscapes in the realms above?
There shall thy tongue in heav'nly murmurs flow,
And there my muse with heav'nly transport
glow:
No more to tell of Damon's tender sighs,
Or rising radiance of
Aurora's eyes,
For nobler themes demand a nobler strain,
And purer
language on th' ethereal plain.
Cease, gentle muse! the solemn gloom of
night
Now seals the fair creation from my sight.
Phillis Wheatley
Analysis:
In this poem, Phillis Wheatley communicates that an artist's or poet's pencil brings pictures or words to life. Then, Wheatley writes about how powerful imagination is, because it gives the writer or artist the ability to go beyond their limits, to the point where limitations disappear. Wheatley then describes the poet' s and artist' s will as "fire", which helps them to continue to write poetry or paint paintings. She then continues with "But when these shades of time are chas'd away, and darkness ends in everlasting day," which I think she means that when this era of racism has passed, the darkness (hard times) ends and instead comes never ending- daylight (good times).
Writing Features:
Some writing features used in this poem include rhyming words and metaphors. Phillis Wheatley uses rhyming words to end off her phrases once again, for example, night and sight. Metaphors are used throughout the poem by Wheatley to express her feelings, an example would be "But when these shades of time are chas'd away," where she uses shades of times, so she is comparing shades of times to the dark times of history.
ATTEND my lays, ye ever honour'd nine,
Assist my labours, and my strains
refine;
In smoothest numbers pour the notes along,
For bright Aurora now
demands my song.
Aurora hail, and all the thousand dies,
Which deck thy
progress through the vaulted skies:
The morn awakes, and wide extends her
rays,
On ev'ry leaf the gentle zephyr plays;
Harmonious lays the feather'd
race resume,
Dart the bright eye, and shake the painted plume.
Ye shady
groves, your verdant gloom display
To shield your poet from the burning
day:
Calliope awake the sacred lyre,
While thy fair sisters fan the
pleasing fire:
The bow'rs, the gales, the variegated skies
In all their
pleasures in my bosom rise.
See in the east th' illustrious king of
day!
His rising radiance drives the shades away--
But Oh! I feel his
fervid beams too strong,
And scarce begun, concludes th' abortive song.
Phillis Wheatley
Analysis:
In this poem, Phillis Wheatley tries to express that every living thing on
Earth, should be loved and respected, no matter how small or big it might be.
She also wants us to value the little pleasures, nature provides us with, and to
understand that happiness can also be found in little things.
Writing Features:
Some writing features used in this poem include personification, rhyming words and metaphors. Phillis Wheatley uses personification in the phrase "His rising radiance drives the shades away", here she is talking about the sun (who she's referring to as a "he") and how, when the sun rises all the darkness of the night is consumed by light. Rhyming words are used by Wheatley to end off each phrase, an example, would be the ending words of the last two phrases "strong and song." One of the metaphors Wheatley used is "Dart the bright eye, and shake the painted plume", here I believe she is comparing a birds eye, when sunlight is shinning on it, to a bright eye and a painted plume to a dark slave, who shakes in fear, at the thought of another day of hard work.
2. On Being Brought from Africa to America
http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/206/poems-on-various-subjects-religious-and-moral/4871/on-being-brought-from-africa/
'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, Negro's,
black as Cain,
May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.
Phillis Wheatley
Analysis:
In this poem, Phillis Wheatley writes in a slaves point of view, where she believes it was due to "mercy", that, they are taken away from their home land to a foreign land. And it was due to this same "mercy", that Christianity was bestowed apon them. Then Phillis goes on and states "Some view our sable race with scornful eye. Their colour is a diabolic die." By this , she means that some people view the dark race as unworthy to exist and that their skin colour symbolizes negativity. In the end, Wheatley ends off with her belief, that Christians and Negro's, both can be purified by joining the culture Christianity.
Writing Features:
Some writing features used in this poem include similies, hyperboles, rhyming words and metaphors. Phillis used similies in the phrase"black as Cain," where she is comparing the colour black to a Cain. Wheatley uses hyperboles in the phrase "Their colour is a diabolic die", where she may be taking it a little too far and exaggerating a bit. Rhyming words are used again by Phillis to end off phrases. A metaphor used would include "Their colour is a diabolic die", since she is comparing a dark person's skin colour to some-sort of characteristic.
3. To S. M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works
TO show the lab'ring bosom's deep intent,
And thought in living characters to
paint,
When first thy pencil did those beauties give,
And breathing
figures learnt from thee to live,
How did those prospects give my soul
delight,
A new creation rushing on my sight?
Still, wond'rous youth! each
noble path pursue,
On deathless glories fix thine ardent view:
Still may
the painter's and the poet's fire
To aid thy pencil, and thy verse
conspire!
And may the charms of each seraphic theme
Conduct thy footsteps
to immortal fame!
High to the blissful wonders of the skies
Elate thy
soul, and raise thy wishful eyes.
Thrice happy, when exalted to
survey
That splendid city, crown'd with endless day,
Whose twice six gates
on radiant hinges ring:
Celestial Salem blooms in endless spring.
Calm
and serene thy moments glide along,
And may the muse inspire each future
song!
Still, with the sweets of contemplation bless'd,
May peace with
balmy wings your soul invest!
But when these shades of time are chas'd
away,
And darkness ends in everlasting day,
On what seraphic pinions shall
we move,
And view the landscapes in the realms above?
There shall thy tongue in heav'nly murmurs flow,
And there my muse with heav'nly transport
glow:
No more to tell of Damon's tender sighs,
Or rising radiance of
Aurora's eyes,
For nobler themes demand a nobler strain,
And purer
language on th' ethereal plain.
Cease, gentle muse! the solemn gloom of
night
Now seals the fair creation from my sight.
Phillis Wheatley
Analysis:
In this poem, Phillis Wheatley communicates that an artist's or poet's pencil brings pictures or words to life. Then, Wheatley writes about how powerful imagination is, because it gives the writer or artist the ability to go beyond their limits, to the point where limitations disappear. Wheatley then describes the poet' s and artist' s will as "fire", which helps them to continue to write poetry or paint paintings. She then continues with "But when these shades of time are chas'd away, and darkness ends in everlasting day," which I think she means that when this era of racism has passed, the darkness (hard times) ends and instead comes never ending- daylight (good times).
Writing Features:
Some writing features used in this poem include rhyming words and metaphors. Phillis Wheatley uses rhyming words to end off her phrases once again, for example, night and sight. Metaphors are used throughout the poem by Wheatley to express her feelings, an example would be "But when these shades of time are chas'd away," where she uses shades of times, so she is comparing shades of times to the dark times of history.