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    Poems on various subjects, religious and moral
    Poems on various subjects, religious and moral
    Poems on various subjects, religious and moral
    Ebook98 pages1 hour

    Poems on various subjects, religious and moral

    By Phillis Wheatley

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateNov 27, 2013
    Author

    Phillis Wheatley

    Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) was an African American poet. Born in West Africa, she was stolen into slavery as a young girl and purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston. Raised to work as a servant for Susanna Wheatley, she was tutored by the Wheatley children in reading and writing, learning Greek and Latin by the age of twelve and writing her first poem at fourteen. Recognizing her talent, the Wheatley family sought publication for her work, eventually moving Phillis to London at the age of twenty in search of wealthy patrons. In 1773, her Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral became the first book of poetry ever published by an African American author, earning her worldwide fame and the acclaim of such figures as George Washington, Jupiter Hammon, Voltaire, and John Paul Jones. That same year, she was emancipated by the Wheatleys, and in 1778 she married a free black businessman named John Peters. Her final years were plagued with illness, debt, and manual labor; her death at the age of thirty-one cut short the improbable life of a true pioneer of American literature.

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      Poems on various subjects, religious and moral - Phillis Wheatley

      The Project Gutenberg EBook of Religious and Moral Poems, by Phillis Wheatley

      This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

      Title: Religious and Moral Poems

      Author: Phillis Wheatley

      Posting Date: August 3, 2008 [EBook #409] Release Date: January, 1996

      Language: English

      *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RELIGIOUS AND MORAL POEMS ***

      Produced by Judith Boss

      POEMS

      ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS,

      RELIGIOUS AND MORAL.

      BY PHILLIS WHEATLEY,

      NEGRO SERVANT TO MR. JOHN WHEATLEY, OF BOSTON, IN NEW-ENGLAND.

      CONTENTS.

        To Maecenas

        On Virtue

        To the University of Cambridge, in New England

        To the King's Most Excellent Majesty

        On being brought from Africa

        On the Rev. Dr. Sewell

        On the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield

        On the Death of a young Lady of five Years of Age

        On the Death of a young Gentleman

        To a Lady on the Death of her Husband

        Goliath of Gath

        Thoughts on the Works of Providence

        To a Lady on the Death of three Relations

        To a Clergyman on the Death of his Lady

        An Hymn to the Morning

        An Hymn to the Evening

        On Isaiah lxiii. 1-8

        On Recollection

        On Imagination

        A Funeral Poem on the Death of an Infant aged twelve Months

        To Captain H. D. of the 65th Regiment

        To the Right Hon. William, Earl of Dartmouth

        Ode to Neptune

        To a Lady on her coming to North America with

             her Son, for the Recovery of her Health

        To a Lady on her remarkable Preservation in a

             Hurricane in North Carolina

        To a Lady and her Children on the Death of the Lady's Brother

             and Sister, and a Child of the Name

             of Avis, aged one Year

        On the Death of Dr. Samuel Marshall,

        To a Gentleman on his Voyage to Great-Britain,

             for the Recovery of his Health

        To the Rev. Dr. Thomas Amory on reading his Sermons

             on Daily Devotion, in which that Duty is

             recommended and assisted

        On the Death of J. C. an Infant

        An Hymn to Humanity

        To the Hon. T. H. Esq; on the Death of his Daughter

        Niobe in Distress for her Children slain by Apollo,

        from Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book VI, and from a View

        of the Painting of Mr. Richard Wilson

        To S. M. a young African Painter, on seeing his Works

        To his Honour the Lieutenant-Governor,

             on the Death of his Lady

        A Farewel to America

        A Rebus by I. B.

        An Answer to ditto, by Phillis Wheatley

      TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON, THE FOLLOWING P O E M S ARE MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. BY HER MUCH OBLIGED, VERY HUMBLE AND DEVOTED SERVANT. PHILLIS WHEATLEY.

      BOSTON, JUNE 12, 1773.

      P R E F A C E.

      THE following POEMS were written originally for the Amusement of the Author, as they were the Products of her leisure Moments. She had no Intention ever to have published them; nor would they now have made their Appearance, but at the Importunity of many of her best, and most generous Friends; to whom she considers herself, as under the greatest Obligations.

      As her Attempts in Poetry are now sent into the World, it is hoped the Critic will not severely censure their Defects; and we presume they have too much Merit to be cast aside with Contempt, as worthless and trifling Effusions.

      As to the Disadvantages she has laboured under, with Regard to Learning, nothing needs to be offered, as her Master's Letter in the following Page will sufficiently show the Difficulties in this Respect she had to encounter.

      With all their Imperfections, the Poems are now humbly submitted to the

      Perusal of the Public.

      The following is a Copy of a LETTER sent by the Author's Master to the

      Publisher.

      PHILLIS was brought from Africa to America, in the Year 1761, between seven and eight Years of Age. Without any Assistance from School Education, and by only what she was taught in the Family, she, in sixteen Months Time from her Arrival, attained the English language, to which she was an utter Stranger before, to such a degree, as to read any, the most difficult Parts of the Sacred Writings, to the great Astonishment of all who heard her.

      As to her WRITING, her own Curiosity led her to it; and this she learnt in so short a Time, that in the Year 1765, she wrote a Letter to the Rev. Mr. OCCOM, the Indian Minister, while in England.

      She has a great Inclination to learn the Latin Tongue, and has made some Progress in it. This Relation is given by her Master who bought her, and with whom she now lives.

      JOHN WHEATLEY.

      Boston, Nov. 14, 1772.

      To the PUBLIC.

      AS it has been repeatedly suggested to the Publisher, by Persons, who have seen the Manuscript, that Numbers would be ready to suspect they were not really the Writings of PHILLIS, he has procured the following Attestation, from the most respectable Characters in Boston, that none might have the least Ground for disputing their Original.

      WE whose Names are under-written, do assure the World, that the POEMS specified in the following Page,* were

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