"Georgia Theatrics" (1834) By Augustus Longstreet, 108. In the poem, Wheatley thanks her patron for supporting her writing. to be set free. Throughout the poem, Wheatley also mentions various Greek gods, such as Maro, Aurora, Phoebus, and Naiads. "To Maecenas" By Phillis Wheatley Transcription, correction, editorial commentary, and markup by Students of Marymount University, James West, Amy Ridderhof Source Texts Editorial Statements Citation Page Images Linked Data 9 TO MAECENAS. Doing so allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of her background and the daily struggles she underwent. From Letters from an American Farmer (1782)-- Letter III "What is an American" By J. Hector St. John de Crvecoeur, 78. Your email address will not be published. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Humanities Text Initiative, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Phillis Wheatley was both the second published African-American poet and first published African-American woman. There's A Certain Slant of Light (ca 1858-1865) By Emily Dickinson, 195. not. way in which slaves found freedom was through music. To the Right Honourable WILLIAM, Earl of DARTMOUTH, his Majestys Principal Secretary of State of North-America, &c. is a poem that shows the pain and agony of being seized from Africa, and the importance of the Earl of Dartmouth, and others, in ensuring that America is freed from the tyranny of slavery. great Sir, the muse thy praise shall sing/ so long thy praise shal' make From age to age transmitting thus his name To Maecenas Analysis Phillis Wheatly Characters archetypes. Author Introduction-William Cullen Bryant (17941878), 100. Familiar Letters of John Adams and his Wife Abigail Adams, During the Revolution, 69. Beat! indicated prior to the page beginning. the inherent evil of the earth into perfect and sinless heaven. M CENAS, you, beneath the myrtle shade, Read o'er what poets sung, and shepherds play'd. What felt those poets but you feel the same? The Dance, A Personal Adventure of the Author (1833) By Augustus Longstreet, 110. Much Madness Is Divinest Sense (ca. Wheatley, just as Bradstreet does with gender, confronts racism and slavery in subtle ways throughout her poetry. Author Introduction-Francis Pastorius (ca. Phillis Wheatley was both the second published African-American poet and first published African-American woman. Come, dear Phillis, be advised, To drink Samaria's flood; There nothing that shall suffice But Christ's redeeming blood. MAECENAS n001 n001 Maecenas was the wealthy patron of classical Roman poets Virgil and Horace, whom Wheatley draws on in complex ways. MAECENAS, you, beneath the myrtle shade, Read o'er what poets sung, and shepherds play'd. Author Introduction-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), 170. That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. This poem is organized into two stanzas; the first stanza is 10 lines, and the second stanza is 11. Author Introduction-William Apess (17981839), 105. 'a person who gives financial or other support to a person, cause, work of art etc. Author Introduction-Alice Cary (1820-1871), 163. An Indian's Looking-Glass for the White Man (1833) By William Apess, 106. Mr. George Whitefield. In softer language, and diviner airs. Reconciliation (1867) By Walt Whitman, 181. These range from reading the poem as "an ode to Christ" (O'Neale), to a self-deprecating description of her inability to meet the poetic genius of Vergil or Homer (Classics and Class), to claiming aspirations to become a poet as great as Vergil or Homer (Kendrick). The Dalliance of the Eagles (ca.1891-1892) By Walt Whitman, 185. Ain't I A Woman (1851) By Sojourner Truth, 143. If you And the same arbors in my soul should burn: Author Introduction-Elizabeth Ashbridge (1713-1755), 64. "To Mcenas" is a poem written by Phillis Wheatley. When gentler strains demand thy graceful song. Or claim the Muses with the Mantuan Sage; Soon the same beauties should my mind adorn. The faultring music dies upon my tongue. His soul replenishd, and his bosom fird; But say, ye Muses, why this partial grace, From age to age transmitting thus his name. While her Christian faith was surely genuine, it was also a "safe" subject for an enslaved poet. When I Heard the Learnd Astronomer (1867) By Walt Whitman, 182. While bright Aurora purples o'er the main, So long, great Sir, the . 1858-1865) By Emily Dickinson, 196. Preface to A Key into the Language of America, 28. Once I Pass'd Through a Populous City (ca.1891-1892) By Walt Whitman, 187. From Some Account of the Fore Part of the Life of Elizabeth Ashbridge, 65. Hyphenation has not been retained, except where necessary for the sense of the Ones-Self I Sing (1867) By Walt Whitman, 183. Author Introduction-Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882), 117. For a deeper reading of "To Maecenas," see Paula Bennett's journal article, "Phillis Wheatley's Vocation and the Paradox of the 'Afric Muse.'" This ClassicNote on Phillis Wheatley focuses on six of her poems: "On Imagination," "On Being Brought from Africa to America," "To S.M., A Young African Painter, on seeing his Works," "A Hymn to the Evening," "To the Right Honourable WILLIAM, Earl of DARTMOUTH, his Majestys Principal Secretary of State of North-America, &c.," and "On Virtue." Horace, Virgil, & Varius at the house of Maecenas. 7 Homer Greek poet, famous for epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey. Declaration of Sentiments from Seneca Falls Woman's Convention (1848) By Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 162. Vol 1. Author Introduction-Phyllis Wheatley (ca. CC-BY 4.0 International License. But here I sit, and mourn a grovling mind. -Use of Pastoral - idealizes reality. Page images are sourced from two copies of the first edition housed in "To Maecenas" Poetry.com. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. In An Hymn to the Evening, Wheatley writes heroic couplets that display pastoral, majestic imagery. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand. In "On Imagination," Wheatley writes about the personified Imagination, and creates a powerful allegory for slavery, as the speaker's fancy is expanded by imagination, only for Winter, representing a slave-owner, to prevent the speaker from living out these imaginings. 1. From Voyages of Samuel de Champlain, Volume 2, 13. "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is a poem that contends with the hypocrisy of Christians who believe that black people are a "diabolic" race. Unlike most of Wheatley's other poems, "On Virtue" does not have a consistent rhyme scheme, but does include a rhyming couplet at the end of the second stanza. DR. Thomas Amory, on reading his Sermons on Daily Devotion, in which that Duty is recommended and assisted, To the Honourable T. H. Esq; on the Death of his Daughter, NIOBE in Distress for her Children slain by APOLLO, from Ovids Metamorphoses, Bood VI. She goes on to state that she will praise them and hopefully write as well as they did. I Know That He Exists (ca. Quick fast explanatory summary. Dr. Sewell, 1769, On The Death Of The Rev. On the Emigration to America (1784) By Philip Freneau, 90. Catchwords, signatures, and running headers have O could I rival thine and Virgils page, As long as Thames in streams majestic flows, While Phoebus reigns above the starry train. -Imagery in 'To Maecenas': movement away from earth and water imagery into Expressing gratitude for her enslavement may be unexpected to most readers. black women did not hinder her level of ability. Wheatley was emancipated after the death of her master John Wheatley. Wheatley's later poems continue her emphasis on Greek mythology and heroic prose, but frequently mention the unjust kidnapping and enslavement of Africans and insist on equality. Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night, 179. Nineteenth Century Newspapers and Literature of Reform, 147. From Appeal to the Christian Women of the South (1836) By Angelina Grimke, 151. Who are the pious youths the poet addresses in stanza 1? 1858-1865) By Emily Dickinson, 192. Portrait Gallery, London, Transcription, correction, editorial commentary, and markup by Students of Marymount University, James West, Amy Ridderhof. In praise of him, from whom those virtues sprung: While blooming wreaths around thy temples spread. Phillis Wheatley: Poems e-text contains the full texts of select works of Phillis Wheatley's poetry. That fain would mount, and ride upon the wind. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, Terence was. While Phoebus reigns above the starry train. New York: Penguin Books, 2001. An analysis of the To Maecenas poem by Phillis Wheatley including schema, poetic form, metre, stanzas and plenty more comprehensive statistics. Author Introduction-Rebecca Harding Davis (1831-1910), 172. THESIS-'To Maecenas' is a request to receive poetic/divine inspiration from Soon the same beauties should my mind adorn, This is The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids (1855) By Herman Melville, 146. London 1651-1720), 41. Editorial: To the Public (1831) By William Lloyd Garrison, 149. Likely a reference to Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon (1707-1791), to whom Wheatley dedicated her 1773 volume of poems (Vincent Carretta, Phillis Wheatley: Biography of a Genius in Bondage, p. 106). Phillis Wheatley (c.1753-1784) was an American literary sensation whose only analogue is possibly the young English poet, Thomas Chatterton, for the precocious brevity and novelty of her career . Not you, my friend, these plaintive strains become. Heav'n quakes, earth trembles, and the shores resound. Preface to The Tenth Muse, Lately Sprung Up in America, 32. 1753-1784), 59. Born in Senegambia, she was sold into slavery at the age of 7 and transported to North America. therefore, these lines could be read quite differently: as the poet praises And, as the thunder shakes the heav'nly plains. What felt those poets but you feel the same? While bright Aurora purples o'er the main, So long, great Sir, the muse thy praise shall sing, So long thy praise shal' make Parnassus ring: Then grant, Maecenas, thy paternal rays, The grateful tribute of my tears is paid; Prone on the shore he feels the pangs of love. So long, great Sir, the muse thy praise shall sing, Online SGML text from the University of Michigan HTI, Daphne and Phillis Wheatley Character Analysis. "On Virtue" is a poem personifying virtue, as the speaker asks Virtue to help them not be lead astray. When gentler strains demand thy graceful song. Born in Senegambia, she was sold into slavery at the age of 7 and transported to North America. Dr. Thomas Amory, On Reading His Sermons On Daily Devotion, In Which that Duty Is Recommended And Assisted, AABBCCXXDDEEFFGGAAXXHHIIXXEEJJXXXXGKLLMMBBKKNNX X HHOOPPQQ, 11010101 11011010101 1111011101 1111010101 1101110101 01010011 11011101 0101010101 1111110101 11110011 11011011101 0101010101 010101011 0111011111 1101011101 0111110001 11110101 0101011111 1101110111 01111101 11101101 0101010101 111101011 110101011 1011011101 001101111 1111010101 0111010001 111101011 1111010101 1111110101 1111010101 111111001 11010101010 1111010101 0111010111 0100101010010 11010011010 1111011101 110111101 1111010111 10101000111 11011111 0111111101 1101011101 110101111 1101010101 11110011 1111010101 11011101 1101010101 11010101001 1111011111 111111101 11110101 1101000111. Author Introduction-Sarah Moore Grimke (1792-1873), 152. But here I sit, and mourn a grov'ling mind. -Use of Music - The final line of the poems is an appeal for Maecenas to These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Phillis Wheatley's poetry. In Paths Untrodden (ca.1891-1892) By Walt Whitman, 188. 1612-1672), 29. She goes on to state that she will praise them and hopefully . These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Phillis Wheatley's poetry. So long, great Sir, the muse thy praise shall sing. Brusilovski, Veronica. "To Mcenas" is a seven stanza poem with varying stanza lengths. She married soon after. William E. Cain, Alice McDermott, Lance Newman, and Hilary E. Wyss. Author Introduction-Richard Frethorne (died ca. The Oval Portrait (1842) By Edgar Allan Poe, 135. As usual, let me know in the comments below. Introduction-European Exploration Accounts, 7. 1745-1797), 82. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Phillis Wheatleys To Maecenas andSubversion, Lydia Maria Childs Chocoruas Curse and Americas LiteraryPresence, Academia, How We Should Respond to StudentWriting, Robert Haydens A Letter From Phillis Wheatley, London 1773 | Interminable Rambling, Most Viewed Posts of 2021 Interminable Rambling, Stories in Carmen Maria Machados The Husband Stitch, Big Walter in Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun", The Master Race? 1 Myrtle "An evergreen shrub" (OED). Hints to Young Wives (1852) By Fanny Fern, 166. Indian Names (1834) By Lydia Sigourney, 155. That Wheatley was one of America's great literary celebrities must have galled Jefferson. defend Wheatley's 'lays'. The lengthning line moves languishing along. The Purloined Letter (1844) By Edgar Allan Poe, 137. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Research informing these annotations draws on publicly-accessible resources, with Phillis Wheatley: Poems essays are academic essays for citation. 1771, To a Gentleman on his Voyage to Great-Britain for the Recovery of his Health, To the Rev. The poem is written in heroic couplets (iambic-pentameter in rhyming couplets). Author Introduction-Jonathan Edwards(17031758), 56. William, Earl of Dartmouth, 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 Ladys Brother, To a Gentleman and Lady on the Death of the Ladys Brother and Sister, and a Child of the Name of Avis, aged one Year, On the Death of Dr. Samuel Marshall. What felt those poets but you feel the same? A deep felt horror thrills through all my veins. Bell, bookseller, Aldgate; and sold by Messr. Phillis began writing poems as a young resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Copyright information regarding third party material is noted in context wherever possible. Author Introduction-Olaudah Equiano (ca. 1858-1865 ) By Emily Dickinson. Author Introduction-Hannah Webster Foster (1758-1840), 86. At the end of circumfus'd in air. American Literature I: An Anthology of Texts From Early America Through the Civil War, Next: On Being Brought from Africa to America. Materials have been transcribed from and checked against first editions, where discrimination. Author Introduction-Fanny Fern (Sara Willis Parton) (18111872), 165. The Public Consciousness of Phillis Wheatley Phillis Wheatley: A Concealed Voice Against Slavery From Ignorance To Enlightenment: Wheatley's OBBAA Imagination and Liberation And, as the thunder shakes the heavnly plains. By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) 'His Excellency General Washington' is a poem written by Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753-84) about General George Washington, who would later serve as the first President of the United States. to Maecenas, Wheatley's offers praise to her patron, but does so in ways that are fraught with the equivocalities of being an enslaved African working within the languge and culture of the colonial master. Even though she begins the poem and ends the poem by praising Mcenas, she also praises other authors such as Homer and Terence. Where pages break in the middle of a word, the complete word has been silently modernized and ligatured forms are not encoded. Great Sire of verse, before my mortal eyes. All enslaved individuals did not have the same opportunities as Wheatley, and even though she showed her intellect and the Wheatleys freed her, she died in poverty at 31 years of age, three years before Jeffersons comments on her writing. Does not your soul possess the sacred flame? Author Introduction-Angelina Grimke (1805-1879), 150. "The world is a severe schoolmaster, for its frowns are less dangerous than its smiles and flatteries, and it is a difficult task to keep in the path of wisdom." Phillis Wheatley. Full analysis for To Maecenas Phillis Wheatley. In "To Maecenas," the narrator addresses Maecenas and takes jabs at the institution that keeps Wheatley and others in bondage because of their supposedly inferior intelligence. Jefferson, Thomas. 1773. Author Introduction-Edgar Allen Poe (18091849), 134. 1858-1865) By Emily Dickinson, 193. her poem, Wheatley is appealing to Maecenas to defend her songs, so that her Phillis Wheatley: Poems essays are academic essays for citation. Swift as they move hear each recess rebound. And stern Pelides tendrest passions move. From Declaration of Independence Draft By Thomas Jefferson in progress-- needs footnotes added, 72. After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes (ca.1858-1865) By Emily Dickinson, 198. Then should my song in bolder notes arise, His soul replenish'd, and his bosom fir'd; From age to age transmitting thus his name. 1642-1729), 53. Phillis Wheatley was an enslaved woman purchased by a family in Boston during Colonial times in America. The Soul Selects Her Own Society (ca. Drums! "To Mcenas" is a poem written by Phillis Wheatley. While bright Aurora purples o'er the main, So long, great Sir, the muse thy praise shall sing, So long thy praise shal' make Parnassus ring: Then grant, Maecenas, thy paternal rays, Hear me propitious, and defend my lays. Wheatley juxtaposes a romantic Author Introduction-Lydia Maria Child (1802-1880), 159. 1. Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, 40. Eight months later, Phillis married John Peters, a free black, on Thanksgiving Day. "On Being Brought from Africa to America", "To S.M., A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works", "To the Right Honourable WILLIAM, Earl of DARTMOUTH, his Majestys Principal Secretary of State of North-America, &c., Read the Study Guide for Phillis Wheatley: Poems, The Public Consciousness of Phillis Wheatley, Phillis Wheatley: A Concealed Voice Against Slavery, From Ignorance To Enlightenment: Wheatley's OBBAA, View our essays for Phillis Wheatley: Poems, View the lesson plan for Phillis Wheatley: Poems, To the University of Cambridge, in New England. Speech of Tecumseh to Governor Harrison (1810) By Tecumseh, 94. OR. The speaker implores Virtue, personified as an auspicious queen and a force . During Wheatley's visit to England with her master's son, the African-American poet Jupiter Hammon praised her work in his own poem. See the Sources section. To Maecenas challenges these presumptions based on race, and Wheatley even calls her audience to reevaluate their own readings of poetic history through her reference to Terence. Phillis Wheatley was an African American poet who was born in West Africa and sold into slavery at the age of seven. As long as Thames in streams majestic flows, Or Naiads in their oozy beds repose. Death and Life (ca.1858-1865) By Emily Dickinson, 204. possible. While heaven is full of beautiful people of all races, the world is filled with blood and violence, as the poem wishes for peace and an end to slavery among its serene imagery. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Their noble strains your equal genius shares. The word "benighted" is an interesting one: It means "overtaken by . : Printed for A. Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love. Uncle Christopher (1852) By Alice Cary, 164. The Brothers (1863) By Louisa May Alcott, 175. more, All Phillis Wheatley poems | Phillis Wheatley Books. While Phoebus reigns above the starry train. From The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, : Or, Gustavus Vassa, the African,Written by Himself (1789) By Olaudah Equiano, 83. From Letters from an American Farmer (1782)-- Letter IX "Thoughts on Slavery" By J. Hector St. John de Crvecoeur, 80. After commenting on the achievements of Virgil and Homer, Wheatley writes in stanza three, Great Maros strain in heavnly numbers flows, In this piece she mentions three great poets-Homer, Virgil, and Terence. This site uses affiliate links and may earn commissions for purchases made. Apollo, National An Address to Miss Phillis Wheatley Suffice would be defined as not being enough or adequate. To the King's Most Excellent Majesty. And all the numbers pleasingly surprise; This ClassicNote on Phillis Wheatley focuses on six of her poems: "On Imagination," "On Being Brought from Africa to America," "To S.M., A Young African Painter, on seeing his Works," "A Hymn to the Evening," "To the Right Honourable WILLIAM, Earl of DARTMOUTH, his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State of . Author Introduction-Washington Irving (17831859), 95. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1819) By Washington Irving, 97. Here the Frailest Leaves of Me (ca.1891-1892) By Walt Whitman, 189. She married soon after. The Indian Burying Ground (1788) By Philip Freneau, 92. Author Introduction-Tecumseh (17681813), 93. Author Introduction-Philip Freneau (1752-1832), 88. In some ways, To Maecenas reminds me of the poetry of Anne Bradstreet, namely her poems The Prologue and The Author to Her Book. Bradstreet, in each of these poems, presents herself as inferior to male poets, saying that her mean pen cannot compare to the epics of others. Read o'er what poets sung, and shepherds play'd. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. "On Virtue O thou bright jewel in my aim I strive 2nd Edition. She channeled her life experiences into poetry that reflected upon the fundamental founding principle of equal opportunity. A Sight in Camp (1862) By Walt Whitman, 178. Does not your soul possess the sacred flame? With support and help, she could achieve this; however, the system of racism and slavery would not allow such a thing to happen. MAECENAS, you, beneath the myrtle shade, Read o'er what poets sung, and shepherds play'd. What felt those poets but you feel the same? Analyzes how phillis wheatley's poem, "on being brought from africa to america," is rich with poetic and literary devices such as symbolism and metaphor. Maecenas' indicates that she may have considered the Roman definition of During Wheatley's visit to England with her master's son, the African-American poet Jupiter Hammon praised her work in his own poem. Phillis Wheatley: Poems essays are academic essays for citation. Of course, this is not all that can be said about To Maecenas or Wheatleys poems, but I hope it presents you with a way to think about her poetry not as something that lacks protest but as something that, as I would argue with Bradstreet, subtly fights back against the hegemonic status quo of her time period.