Bibliography Background-Phillis Wheatley Phillis Wheatley was brought to America when she was 7 years old. The latter is implied, at least religiously, in the last lines. would have read the poem? On Being Brought From Africa To America. Darkness is an overpowering theme in "On Being Brought From Africa to America", with darkness representing her past, her skin color and black people as a race. This color, the speaker says, may think is a sign of the devil. Keywords didn't meet our safe search guidelines. She spent her childhood years with a wealthy Boston family. She knew “redemption” through this transition and banished all sorrow from her life. That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Add your answer and earn points. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45465/on-being-bro... What is the interpretation of "On Being Brought from Africa to America"? On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley: Summary and Analysis Phillis Wheatley was brought to America from Africa at the age of eight. What is the pagan land mentioned in the first line? I am wondering if Wheatly's attitude in the poem was resentful. The intended audience, also suggested by the … In Wheatley’s poem, “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” she states, ‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land.” Many critics state that Phillis Wheatley discriminated against her own land, but others state that she was merely being sarcastic. Join the conversation by. Major Themes in “On Being Brought from Africa to America”: Mercy, racism and divinity are the major themes of this poem. It is often cited as Tennyson’s best. Answers. Please support this website by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker. ("On Being Brought from Africa to America") Here, Wheatley repeats "i" sounds. This poem is more about the power of God than it is about equal rights, but it is still touched on. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of this paragraph! On Being Brought From Africa to America. That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Explanation: On Being Brought From Africa to America is eight lines long, a single stanza, four rhyming couplets formed into a block. Assonance: "Their colour is a diabolic die." Discussion of themes and motifs in Phillis Wheatley's On Being Brought from Africa to America. From her poetry ‘ On Being Brought from Africa to America,’ even it was a short poetry that she wrote, it was enough to show the situation and the prejudice of white people toward the black people. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. What does she want to persuade her readers of? Phillis Wheatley And A Summary of On Being Brought From Africa to America. Further she implies that her finding of a God and savior has allowed her once stained soul to … Wheatley makes use of several literary devices in ‘On Being Brought from Africa to America’. She gives her readers a moral message through her writing. The language evokes Biblical figures of villainy, namely Cain and Satan, as Wheatley knows that, to many, her soul appears as "benighted" as her dark skin. Teachers, if you are meeting synchronously, we suggest sharing a video screen that allows for students to annotate together. This is a reference to the biblical Book of Genesis and the two sons of Adam. See answer jake67884288 is waiting for your help. Phillis Wheatley - 1753-1784 '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. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand. Ads are what helps us bring you premium content! It's probably Africa, because, ummm, the title is "On Being Brought from Africa to America," but it's also a country that didn't practice Christianity. Who is the SPEAKER and INTENDED AUDIENCE of the poem? That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. In the poem, she gives thanks for having been brought to America, where she was raised to be a Christian. The first of these is unstressed and the second is stressed. On Being Brought From Africa To America Poem by Phillis Wheatley. 15 Phillis Wheatly author's image. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." The clash between racial reality and idea is what is artistically shown in “on being brought from Africa to America”. "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is a single stanza made up of eight lines and has an AABBCCDD rhyming structure. Poet Phillis Wheatley Students edit a short paragraph about Wheatley. In other words, her location was changing, from Africa to America. Wheatley was a female African-American poet, who was born around 1753 in Senegal/Gambia, a part of the Africa. Wheatley describes her native Africa as a "Pagan" land wherein her soul was "benighted": she describes her enslavement and passage to America as representing a salvation for her, in that she has been taught about God and a Saviour and redemption she "never sought nor knew" before. Mercy brought her and it also "taught my benighted soul to understand," although what she understands is unstated. She lived between 1753 and 1784. Her religion has changed her life entirely and clearly she believes the same can happen for anyone else. On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley, A Hymn to the Evening by Phillis Wheatley. She believes that her discovery of God, after being forcibly enslaved in America, was the best thing that could’ve happened to her. '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: Despite what might first come to someone’s mind who knows anything about slavery in the United States, she saw it as an act of kindness. The latter is a devotion poem and elegy written after the death of a cloys friend. The major themes are slavery, Christianity, and redemption. This means that each line, with only a couple of questionable examples, is made up of five sets of two beats. Every single person that visits PoemAnalysis.com has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. -I think Wheatley is intending to reach insecure African Americans with her poem because she is saying that everyone is the same in God’s eyes. Wheatley was a slave Negro girl. PHILLIS was brought from Africa to America in the Year 1761, between seven and eight years of Age. How might it be read differently today? Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." She has been enlightened as to God's redemptive plan. She believes that her discovery of God, after being forcibly enslaved in … Her words are direct and powerful. What do you notice about the poem? This poem is a real-life account of Wheatley’s experiences. Wheatley writes in iambic pentameter, and her poem is an octave, or set of four couplets. eNotes critical analyses help you gain a deeper understanding of On Being Brought from Africa … Cain murdered his brother and was marked for the rest of time. Wheatley’s most prominent themes in this piece are religion, freedom, and equality. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Questions in other subjects: Mathematics, 18.02.2020 08:27. In her poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” she addresses her audience to the matter of race. A single stanza of eight lines, with full rhyme and classic iambic pentameter … In the first part of the poem, Wheatley uses the first-person to describe her experience of coming to America. English, 18.02.2020 08:27. As long as everybody possesses the same religious spirit, racial discrimination goes against God laws. On Being Brought from Africa to America - 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, - The Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets. The meter of this poem is straightforward. Born in West Africa, she was sold into slavery at the age of seven or eight and transported to North America.She was enslaved by the Wheatley family of Boston.After she learned to read and write, they encouraged her poetry … She addresses her African heritage in the next lines, stating that there are many who look down on her and those who look like her. How do you think that readers of the time (1767?) Before examining and evacuating, “On Being Brought from Africa to America”, it is important to look at Phyllis Wheatley’s life. Okay, brace yourself: Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American woman in America to publish a book of poems. How would you describe the tone of “On Being Brought from Africa," and does it shift? Wheatley on the other hand, after arriving in America, was brought into the loving hands of Susanna Wheatley, who was “sympathetic … If she wanted to do that, she would have said “black as night” or compared herself to another black object. In the final lines, Wheatley addresses any who think this way. Reading the Poem: Read the poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley silently. "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is a single stanza made up of eight lines and has an AABBCCDD rhyming structure. Wheatley is a subtle rebel. The theme is slavery, as the speaker is coming from Africa and Christianity. This line from Phillis Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” the speaker refers to herself as “black as Cain” (7). Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. They can “join th’ angelic train”. Already a member? Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." A. Wheatley was a slave Negro girl. The poem uses the principles of Protestant meditation, which include contemplating various Christian themes like one's own death or salvation. This poem is more about the power of God than it is about equal rights, but it is still touched on. Poems by Phillis Wheatley Hypertext comments and postreading questions for "On Being Brought From Africa to America," "To S. M., a Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works," and "On Imagination." In this poem, the speaker contends with being "brought from Africa to America," calling this a merciful act as their "benighted soul" was taught to "understand/ That there's a God" and a Saviour. On Being Brought from Africa to America Phillis Wheatley. The poem “On being brought from Africa to America” by Wheatley elicits mixed reactions from readers. She spent her childhood years with a wealthy Boston family. These include but are not limited to personification, allusion, and alliteration. That is, it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that countries … What kind of audience do you think Wheatley was intending to reach with this poem? B.A. Phillis Wheatley's poem "On Being Brought from Africa to America" appeared in her 1773 volume Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, the first full-length published work by an African American author. In other ways, however, this poem is not conventional at all. But I believe that Wheatley is trying to reach out to her audience to society. Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain. On being brought from Africa to America By: Phillis Wheatley Rhyme Scheme Land A Understand A Too B Knew B Eye C Die Diction C Cain D Benighted- Ignorant to the fact that someone can take her and sell her Train D Sable Race- The poem is about how negros were viewed and how they The narrator, who was once a slave, was brought to America, where she became a Christian. Phillis Wheatley's most famous poem acclaimed by critiques is the work, "On Being Brought from Africa to America." On Being Brought from Africa to America By Phillis Wheatley 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand. Subscribe to our mailing list and get new poetry analysis updates straight to your inbox. On Being Brought from Africa to America (1773) By Phillis Wheatley "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. In the poem "On Being Brought from Africa to America," Wheatley is stating that she has been redeemed. On being brought from Africa to America is a poem by Phillis Wheatley, the first African American poet in the 18th century. A detailed summary and explanation of Lines 5-8 in On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley. Blackness of the skin, Wheatley says, does not equate to blackness of the soul, and black people too may "join th'angelic train". She was taught to read and write. The tone of the poem suggests this, seeing that the words are highly critical. The theme of Christianity echoes through each line of this poem. Using textual evidence from this poem or any of her poems and analysis, take a stance and support. On Being brought from Africa to America Questions and Answers 1. By Phillis Wheatley. Literature is one of her greatest passions which she pursues through analysing poetry on Poem Analysis. The speaker of this poem seems to be Wheatley taking on the words a white person criticizing the african race. Her “benighted,” or troubled soul was saved in the process. However, unlike other slaves, her masters taught her how to read and write. Example of a poem on slavery is "On being brought from Africa to America" 3. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Instead of beginning with a condemnation of slavery she calls it “mercy brought me from my Pagan land” (Wheatley, “On Being Brought from Africa to America”, line 1). That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. In this way, she adheres to popular poetic conventions. Alliteration is a common and useful device that helps to increase the rhythm of the poem. Throughout the poem, the speaker talks about God's mercy and the indifferent attitude of the people toward the African-American community. Ready to be impressed? Though her poem “On Being Brought to America from Africa” is a mere 8 lines, Phillis Wheatley was able to describe her experience of coming to America as a slave without being negative and ridiculing towards her audience. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' is the most famous poem by Phillis Wheatley, an African-American poet who gained literary success in her day, despite living in slavery. On Being Brought From Africa to America is an unusual poem because it was written by a black woman who was a slave back in the days when black people could be bought and sold at will by white owners. “On Being Brought from Africa to America” implies that the speaker will discuss a journey from Africa, presumably their home, to America, possibly as a slave. Her work may be an expressio… Emma graduated from East Carolina University with a BA in English, minor in Creative Writing, BFA in Fine Art, and BA in Art Histories. After the elder Wheatleys died, Phillis was left to support herself as a seamstress and poet. Following the poem (from Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, 1773), are some observations about its treatment of the theme of enslavement: On being brought from Africa to America. On Being Brought From Africa to Americabrings out Wheatley as a preacher. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." That is, Africa represents a … In 1770 Wheatley wrote a poetic tribute to the evangelist George Whitefield, which received widespread acclaim. Whom does she address directly? The poem describes Wheatley's experience as a young girl who was enslaved and brought to the American colonies in 1761. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a On Being Brought From Africa to America is an unusual poem because it was written by a black woman who was a slave back in the days when black people could be bought and sold at will by white owners 2. Thank you! If the title "On Being Brought from Africa to America" doesn't suggest change to you, maybe the subtle hints throughout the poem will help change your mind. Therefore, this poem has autobiographical component. Annotate for any words or phrases that stand out to you or any questions you might have.