amberimagines's review against another edition
3.0
Most of these poems are written to provide comfort after someone's death. But I really enjoyed the introduction that provided Phillis Wheatley's very interesting story and it's amazing that her work is able to be collected here. I did really enjoy some of the poems. My favorite was on Recollection.
scorpi07's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t finish this entire book. I read the introduction and the Poems on Various Subjects (Wheatley’s published book of poems), and her extant unpublished poems. I then skimmed the variants of her poems, and the letters and whatnot at the end of the book.
The poetry style is lovely, but the content is difficult for a modern-day reader. It was hard to read so much severe religiosity and so many poems telling mourners to be happy after the death of a loved one! Also, reading the published writings of a slave woman who was so deeply assimilated into colonial culture was gross and difficult. Wheatley really did have an extraordinary life experience and I enjoyed learning about her.
The poetry style is lovely, but the content is difficult for a modern-day reader. It was hard to read so much severe religiosity and so many poems telling mourners to be happy after the death of a loved one! Also, reading the published writings of a slave woman who was so deeply assimilated into colonial culture was gross and difficult. Wheatley really did have an extraordinary life experience and I enjoyed learning about her.
drkshadow03's review against another edition
2.0
The primary interest of this work is historical as Wheatley is the first African American woman and slave to write a poetry collection in a time when African slaves often had limited education and restricted access to it. The poems themselves are a bit derivative and not overly interesting or original. Not exactly bad poetry, not exactly good either; they are just okay.
The majority of poems are addressed to a person with a recently deceased family member and tries to console them for their loss by appealing to Christian themes that the deceased is in a better place. The Christian themes of salvation are prominent in these poems; Wheatley suggests in some of her poems that coming to know Jesus and God was the primary good that came from her captivity. The most interesting poem is her “Goliath” which fuses the Biblical narrative with elements of Ancient Greek Epic. She also wrote a poem addressed directly to General George Washington prior to Independence as well as a poem against atheists and one against deists.
In addition, the collection includes her letters. For those expecting denunciations against the evils of slavery, most of her letters and poems barely touch on the issue, although there are a few references here and there. They mostly express her intense religiosity and faith. In her letters and poems, she implies that she is grateful to her former masters John and Susanna Wheatley who were more like parents and friends to her than harsh overlords and speaks often about being given the chance to convert to Christianity. Eventually the Wheatley’s emancipated her. After the death of her former mistress Phillis writes,
“By the great loss I have Sustain’d of my best friend, I feel like One [fo]fsaken by her parent in a desolate wilderness, for Such the world
Appears to [me], wandring thus without my friendly guide (158).” - from a letter to John Thornton Esqr. Merchant London
In one of her more interesting letters Phillis Wheatley addresses slavery by noting that God has given the desire for freedom as part of the nature of every human and the religious freedom that comes with Christianity brings civil liberties (153). In the same letter she also calls out the hypocrisy of those who would defend liberty, while at the same to enslaving others out of greed. A few of the letters and poems such as the one addressed to General Washington also express a strong sense of patriotism, suggesting she believed in the potential of the American experiment.
The majority of poems are addressed to a person with a recently deceased family member and tries to console them for their loss by appealing to Christian themes that the deceased is in a better place. The Christian themes of salvation are prominent in these poems; Wheatley suggests in some of her poems that coming to know Jesus and God was the primary good that came from her captivity. The most interesting poem is her “Goliath” which fuses the Biblical narrative with elements of Ancient Greek Epic. She also wrote a poem addressed directly to General George Washington prior to Independence as well as a poem against atheists and one against deists.
In addition, the collection includes her letters. For those expecting denunciations against the evils of slavery, most of her letters and poems barely touch on the issue, although there are a few references here and there. They mostly express her intense religiosity and faith. In her letters and poems, she implies that she is grateful to her former masters John and Susanna Wheatley who were more like parents and friends to her than harsh overlords and speaks often about being given the chance to convert to Christianity. Eventually the Wheatley’s emancipated her. After the death of her former mistress Phillis writes,
“By the great loss I have Sustain’d of my best friend, I feel like One [fo]fsaken by her parent in a desolate wilderness, for Such the world
Appears to [me], wandring thus without my friendly guide (158).” - from a letter to John Thornton Esqr. Merchant London
In one of her more interesting letters Phillis Wheatley addresses slavery by noting that God has given the desire for freedom as part of the nature of every human and the religious freedom that comes with Christianity brings civil liberties (153). In the same letter she also calls out the hypocrisy of those who would defend liberty, while at the same to enslaving others out of greed. A few of the letters and poems such as the one addressed to General Washington also express a strong sense of patriotism, suggesting she believed in the potential of the American experiment.
alexabarca's review against another edition
Wheatley's poems are extremely interesting and engaging. The one thing I will say is that there is a lot of research/reading needed to even make the poetry accessible (i.e., for the reader to really grasp the full significance of the poem). I highly suggest reading the intro as well as the first three letters directly preceding the first poem.
Another word of caution: as is probably logical, while Wheatley's poems are fantastic, I would say that readers should really think about her legacy and the historical context when reading her poetry. While this is true for all authors/poets, I find this especially true. Furthermore, be ready to deal with jarring words/imagery (again, very much a product of the time)
Another word of caution: as is probably logical, while Wheatley's poems are fantastic, I would say that readers should really think about her legacy and the historical context when reading her poetry. While this is true for all authors/poets, I find this especially true. Furthermore, be ready to deal with jarring words/imagery (again, very much a product of the time)
juliana_reads's review
4.0
I felt compelled to read Phillis' work after visiting the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. She has an incredible story.
Sometimes poetry can be inaccessible because of references or metaphors that are obscure. I had that problem with the a lot of Phillis' poems because I'm not very familiar with classical thinkers nor Greek/Roman mythology. It's also been a while since I've read the Bible. Thus, the four stars.
However, the poems that I did connect with were powerful and eloquent. I particularly loved reading her correspondence with George Washington.
Her poem entitled "On Being Brought From Africa To America" was especially interesting to me because the first half, to me, almost panders to the Christian slave owners of her time:
She's almost thanking them for her redemption, perhaps sarcastically? Or rather, she is genuine and she is offering herself as proof, because she then goes on to remind them that those of the "sable race" are equal before God. Either way, in a few short lines she made me think.
Sometimes poetry can be inaccessible because of references or metaphors that are obscure. I had that problem with the a lot of Phillis' poems because I'm not very familiar with classical thinkers nor Greek/Roman mythology. It's also been a while since I've read the Bible. Thus, the four stars.
However, the poems that I did connect with were powerful and eloquent. I particularly loved reading her correspondence with George Washington.
Her poem entitled "On Being Brought From Africa To America" was especially interesting to me because the first half, to me, almost panders to the Christian slave owners of her time:
'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
She's almost thanking them for her redemption, perhaps sarcastically? Or rather, she is genuine and she is offering herself as proof, because she then goes on to remind them that those of the "sable race" are equal before God. Either way, in a few short lines she made me think.
More...