One 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 now knew,
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
'Their colour is a diabolic die.'
Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain,
May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.
Phillis Wheatley
I love this poem. She seems so light hearted even though people have treated her horrable. And even though she was "brought" here she managed to accept and find peace with god.
ReplyDeleteAnd she is brave enough to call to question the idea that skin color would someone less worthy to 'God' - and if a soul has value to 'God' how could it not for people (even if their skin is not dark)...
ReplyDeleteI really love that Wheatlety was able to voice her opinion subtly and beautifuly. As a Christian, she knew that any person can learn of God and thus be ,even if white Christians didn't believe it at the time. It takes great courage to tell someone they're wrong even if it is done in a subtle way.
ReplyDeletethis is a simple yet powerful poem. it speaks of her and her people's tribulations and recognizes God as her savior. by finding God she has accepted her position in life, and questions the white man's faith. :) it is good for her to have found the faith, for without faith life can be hard to endure, especially in a situation like hers.
ReplyDelete-S.ARROYO
This poem is very powerful and it seem to come alive in the clip we saw in class. It was impacting to see all the harshness and brutality that one man can do to another and what one man can do to a woman. When the African slaves went on the ship, in the clip, a priest was praying for them...this connects with the poem and makes one wonder how someone that believes in a god or a superior being can be so brutal to another human being. The way Africans were treated was just something I personally wouldn't have accepted, because we are all human beings and like the poem says, that we can all join the angelic train. -daycy mancilla
ReplyDeleteI like how she took a negative thing and saw the positive in it. She was enslaved, but she realized that it was through this process that she was able to find her savior.
ReplyDeleteWheatly's poem is beautiful and strong.She has experienced such pain and yet she transforms it into something else something fresh and positive.Eventhough she has been through rough times she never stoped believing in what she believes.
ReplyDeleteyazmin r.
philis wheatly's overall tone is calm and appretiative. Even though she was brought against her free will she made the best of the situation provided herself with the proper knowledge to succeed and found god within herself. Just by obtaining the power to live with god she recieved the power to live threw slavery.
ReplyDelete-kimberly martinez
I like how Wheatly even though she knew she was treated bad and "brought" she had a good hope and had a positive view of where she was going "the angelic train" and saw everything the positive way.
ReplyDeleteThis poem was very powerful and peacful at the same time. Wheatly was very understanding and even though she was treated badly because of the color of her skin she let herself stay open to god and believe that there is hope in the world. Even though she was brought over against her free will she kept a positive attitude and i love how she expressed herself in poem.
ReplyDeletea very profound and powerful poem. I really felt the emotion.
ReplyDeleteit is amazing that even in the worst of times people can still find good out of certain situations. this is a pretty incredible poem written by a very brave women. its nice to see that she was open to god. i believe that everyone could use god in their life as someone to talk to when you are dealing with something so much bigger than you are
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