Phillis Wheatley Research Paper

The first known African American to have a poetry book published in America was the late Ms. Phillis Wheatley. Wheatley was born in 1753, in West Africa. In 1761, when Wheatley was roughly seven or eight years of age; she was purchased as a personal slave for Susannah Wheatley, the wife of John Wheatley. Phillis was taught to read and write from Susannah Wheatley’s daughter, Mary in between her household duties. At an early age, Wheatley was deeply involved in the Bible and multitude of other things to include Latin and Greek to English Literature. Wheatley’s love of poetry began when she was just twelve years old. At this age, she started writing poetry and Phillis’ first poem was published in 1770. (Carretta, 2011)

The illustration that Phillis Wheatley portrays in history is an African-American woman who wrote poetry. Her life goes more into depths that what is perceived, however. Phillis Wheatley uses her poetry as a unique way to get out the truth. Through poems such as On Being Brought From Africa to America and the poem about Lee, she made statements about was what going on at that time; a revolution. Phillis Wheatley was known as a revolutionary mother, for she gave hope to slaves, ease to whites, and was an influence to America. She was not known for conflict or trying to start an argument, but she more known for personalizing her thoughts onto a piece of paper, read by all of America. Her ideas were used as an influence during

Born in West Africa, Phillis Wheatley was bought at a slave auction in 1791 by the wife of a Boston trader. During that time it was routine to rename the slave to the family’s last name which is how Phillis became a Wheatley. She

Within sixteen months of her arrival, she was reading astronomy, geography, history, and British literature. Wheatley was able to break a language barrier that had held so many others of her race back. Her desire for learning increased and the quest for knowledge became embedded in her spirit, mind, and soul. By her teenage years, Wheatley was a well known author, reciting poems for the New England elite in homes where blacks could not even sit at the table with whites.Phillis Wheatley made many contributions to American literature. Other than successfully representing and expressing the feelings of anger, frustration, and impatience of African American people abroad, she has paved the way for young aspiring African American writers.

Phillis Wheatley overcame extreme obstacles, such as racism and sexism, to become one of the most acclaimed poets in the 18th Century. Her works are characterized by religious and moral backgrounds, which are due to the extensive education of religion she received. In this sense, her poems also fit into American Poetry. However, she differs in the way that she is a black woman whose writings tackle greater subjects while incorporating her moral standpoint. By developing her writing, she began speaking out against injustices that she faced and, consequently, gave way to authors such as Gwendolyn Brooks and Countee Cullen.

Anne Bradstreet, Daughter of the one governor and first published poet in America, was classified as a classic religious poet and also was also considered a very modern poet who really focused on her everyday life and all of her daily activates. Phillis Wheatley, enslaved at the age of 6, and became the first black women poet in America wote mostly classical poetry and had many Christian views. Her poetry used pyscholical meaning and also used poetic devices. Although both poets were to very respected poets of there time both are also very different compared to their work. Phillis Wheatley’s poetry was more in depth, thoughtful, and had somewhat more stylish than the work of Anne’s Bradstreet’s.

Phillis Wheatley was an American figure unlike any other at her time. In a time where slavery was the normal, Ms. Wheatley was a revolutionary figure. She was not revolutionary because she was one of the enslaved but because she was one of the enslaved that knew how to read and write, becoming a published author. Women at the time of Phillis Wheatley were oppressed into submission to social norms. It was almost unheard of for a woman to write poetry, much less to be published. So, for Phillis Wheatley not only to be a slave, but also to be a woman that wrote poetry, she was an extremely influential figure. She was not influential in just one area, but in two areas because she led the way to women being accepted as writers and planted a seed of abolition, although not directly intentional.

John Hill Westbrook was influential to Texas by being the first African-American to play football in the Southwest Conference and becoming a minister. John Hill Westbrook was born in Groesbeck, Texas, November 13,1947. Westbrook grew up being a fourth generation minister. Growing up in parsonages, he moved around a lot. Westbrook ended up going to Booker T. Washington High School in Elgin, Texas. In Elgin, Westbrook played basketball, football, and ran track. Westbrook graduated the salutatorian of his class, and in 1965 he enrolled at Baylor university, ready to take on his dream of playing football.

Kate Kimball is an award-winning fiction author who has worked hard to be in the position she is in now. Despite currently struggling with her health, she has continued to peruse her English PhD in Creative Writing here at Florida State University. Born in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah Kimball is surprised to find herself over 2,000 miles away now studying in the sunshine state. FSU offers one of the top creative writing programs that currently is ranked top 5 in the nation according to The Atlantic Monthly. Kimball was excited to be accepted into the accredited program after earning her bachelor’s from the University of Utah and masters at Virginia Tech. Kimball has always loved writing and says, “Creative writing allows you to write about

Caleb Logan Bratayley had a big smile and a heart of gold. The member of the Bratayley family was seen by viewers around the world as he performed on video for the masses to watch YouTube fans and pop culture junkies were devastated to hear that the promising entertainer has died. According to US Weekly on Monday, Caleb Logan passed away over the weekend from natural causes.

Wheatley wrote the first book of verses by an African American and paved the way for ethnic writers to follow and do the same. Despite her enslavement at the age of 7, she continued to be a powerful voice for her race and for women all throughout the 18th century. One of her most famous poems has been retitled, “And Still I Rise” by many, and its speaks of her courageous spirit and grateful heart as she was taken from the only home she had ever known to be shipped to America and serve those she did not know, and yet – she did so with courage,“'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,

Around the age of 13, Phillis published her first poem. Phillis was the first African-American female poet in history. By the time she turned 18, she had a total of 28 poems wrote. Mrs. Wheatley helped her run advertisements and helped her promote these poems. She had much success with that, she had many other good ones that followed. In 1773, her book called Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was published (Biography.com).

Phillis Wheatley was America's first black poet. She was born in Senegal, Africa in 1753 and she was sold into slavery at the age of seven to John and Susannah Wheatley of Boston. Phillis was soon accepted as a member of the family, and was raised with the Wheatley's other two children. Phillis soon displayed her remarkable talents by learning to read and write English. At the age of twelve she was reading the Greek and Latin classics, and passages from the Bible. At thirteen she wrote her first poem. Phillis became a Boston sensation after she wrote a poem on the death of the evangelical preacher George Whitefield in 1770. Three years later thirty-nine of her poems were published in London as "Poems on Various

Phillis Wheatley,is a person that writes poems for the war .She was born May 8,1753 in West Africa . she was a slave at the age of 7 years old.When she got a little older she began to read and write Later,she began to write poems for revolutionary war.

Phillis Wheatley is a Gambian born African American poet. She was bought off of the slave trade by the Wheatley family from Boston. Her love of writing was influenced by the reassurance of the Wheatley family who taught her how to read and write. The family encouraged her poetry and helped develop her literature skills. Phillis is known for becoming the first published African American poet. Many see her as the first writer to develop a genre of African American literature. Through an analysis of Wheatley’s work we can see how her influential work tends to carry themes from the point of view of American colonists. Her work also contains a general critique of slavery and descriptions of her attitudes towards the circumstances forced upon the enslaved.