It is often cited as Tennyson’s best. On Being Brought From Africa To America. eNotes critical analyses help you gain a deeper understanding of On Being Brought from Africa … As long as everybody possesses the same religious spirit, racial discrimination goes against God laws. The speaker of this poem seems to be Wheatley taking on the words a white person criticizing the african race. 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. Over one-third consist of elegies, the remainder being on religious, classical, and abstract themes. Please try another search. Deonca 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). What's your thoughts? On Being Brought From Africa to America. She was taught to read and write. On Being brought from Africa to America Questions and Answers 1. It is through advertising that we are able to contribute to charity. Teachers, if you are meeting synchronously, we suggest sharing a video screen that allows for students to annotate together. ‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land. (Hint: there may be more than 1) a. She has been enlightened … In a few short lines, the poem "On Being Brought from Africa to America" juxtaposes religious language with the institution of slavery, to touch on the ideas of equality, salvation, and liberty. Her poetry expressed Christian themes, and many poems were dedicated to famous figures. May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train. She is not simply referring to black as the color of her skin. 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. Please support this website by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker. The poem “On being brought from Africa to America” by Wheatley elicits mixed reactions from readers. In other ways, however, this poem is not conventional at all. Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia. Her words are direct and powerful. In regards to the meter, Wheatley makes use of the most popular pattern, iambic pentameter. 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. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a In the poem "On Being Brought from Africa to America," Wheatley is stating that she has been redeemed. Please log in again. Add your answer and earn points. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site. melaniepoetry Uncategorized April 20, 2018 2 Minutes. 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. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." Example of a poem on slavery is "On being brought from Africa to America" 3. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." They can “join th’ angelic train”. In her poem, “On Being Brought From Africa to America” Wheatley is able to uncover a flaw in the American society at the time by saying, “Remember, Christians , Negros , black as Cain , May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train”. To begin with, the poet herself is an interesting example of a literate slave writing about her own experience prior to the nineteenth century, where we begin to see more of this. Reading the Poem: Read the poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley silently. Are you sure? After the elder Wheatleys died, Phillis was left to support herself as a seamstress and poet. On Being Brought from Africa to America Phillis Wheatley. Subsequently, question is, what is the pagan land mentioned in the first line? On Being Brought from Africa to America Introduction. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. 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. She knew “redemption” through this transition and banished all sorrow from her life. 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. 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. The tone of the poem suggests this, seeing that the words are highly critical. 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. Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly (c. 1753 – December 5, 1784) was the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Ready to be impressed? 1. Subscribe to our mailing list to get the latest and greatest poetry updates. That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. This is all due to the fact that she was able to learn about “God” and Christianity. By Phillis Wheatley. Who is the SPEAKER and INTENDED AUDIENCE of the poem? How would you describe the tone of “On Being Brought from Africa,” and does it shift? On Being Brought from Africa to America. 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." This, she thinks, means that anyone, no matter their skin tone or where they’re from can find God and salvation. 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. That is, Africa represents a … Themes in On Being Brought from Africa to America. This poem is more about the power of God than it is about equal rights, but it is still touched on. Answer : "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is a poem written by Phillis Wheatley.The poem describes Wheatley's experience as a young girl who was enslaved and brought to the American co view the full answer On being brought from Africa to America 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand . Already a member? Which sentence best expresses the main idea of this paragraph! Cite speci± c words and phrases to support your answer. In "On Being Brought from Africa to America," Wheatley identifies herself first and foremost as a Christian, rather than as African or American, and asserts everyone's equality in God's sight. Major Themes in “On Being Brought from Africa to America”: Mercy, racism and divinity are the major themes of this poem. She lived between 1753 and 1784. This activity is designed for elementary students. 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. The poem describes Wheatley's experience as a young girl who was enslaved and brought to the American colonies in 1761. On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley, A Hymn to the Evening by Phillis Wheatley. 15 Phillis Wheatly author's image. In the poem, she gives thanks for having been brought to America, where she was raised to be a Christian. For instance, “ On Being Brought from Africa to America,” the best-known Wheatley poem, chides the Great Awakening audience to remember that Africans must be included in the Christian stream: “Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, /May be refin’d and join th’ angelic train.” B.A. She asks that they remember that anyone, no matter their skin color, can be said by God. Join the conversation by. Phillis Wheatley And A Summary of On Being Brought From Africa to America. As previously mentioned, people view this poem as being sarcastic to its readers. Throughout the poem, the speaker talks about God's mercy and the indifferent attitude of the people toward the African-American community. Bibliography Background-Phillis Wheatley Phillis Wheatley was brought to America when she was 7 years old. Top subjects are Literature, Social Sciences, and History. She spent her childhood years with a wealthy Boston family. What's important is that the speaker feels like "mercy" in her life So, the speaker seems to be saying it was a good thing that she was brought from her homeland. In her poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” she addresses her audience to the matter of race. The meter of this poem is straightforward. The quote symbolizes unity among all humankind. Further she implies that her finding of a God and savior has allowed her once stained soul to … In the poem " On Being Brought from Africa to America," Wheatley is stating that she has been redeemed. The latter is implied, at least religiously, in the last lines. ©2021 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. In this way, she adheres to popular poetic conventions. Poet Phillis Wheatley Students edit a short paragraph about Wheatley. What kind of audience do you think Wheatley was intending to reach with this poem? By using this meter, Wheatley was attempting to align her poetry with that of the day, making sure that the primary white readers would accept it.