On 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 nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
“Their colour is a diabolic die.”
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train.
On Being Brought from Africa to America by Kate Hunsberger
Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved person taken from her homeland, authored a meaningful poem about her experience in America. Wheatley was a well-educated African American woman who published poetry after being enslaved. Her most famous poem was the poem titled,
“On Being Brought from Africa to America.” However, Wheatley did not publish this work in America. Instead, she published it in Britain because the Americans would not accept a piece that opposed the slavery they held. The Iambic Pentameter structure of the poem causes it to be concise and compelling and easy to read. In the poem, Wheatley displays two contrary visions of slavery. She points out anti-slavery ideas as well as pro-slavery ideas.
Her anti-slavery ideals stem from lines stating, “Some view our sable race with a scornful eye.” Here she points out the racist people that view her race as outcasts. Wheatley illuminates the point that their race is shunned in America and treated as nobodies. Wheatley gives an example of how the move to America has negatively impacted her and her race, pointing toward anti-slavery ideas. Following this line, Wheatley quotes the whites in America when she says, ‘”Their color is a diabolic die.” By pulling a quote from white Americans, she can show their justification for slavery. Wheatley feels she is viewed in that context by Americans decimating her self-worth and the worth of her fellow slaves. Finally, Wheatley alludes to the story of Cain and compares her race to him by saying, “Christians, negros, black as Cain.” The bible diction indicates sarcasm within Wheatley because she is implying she is a descendant of the murderer Cain. Indirectly, Wheatley illustrates how Americans compare enslaved people to biblical villains, portraying them as subhuman and evil. The Americans, in short, view enslaved people as outcasts and murderers, and Wheatley describes that idea in her poem.
To finish the poem, she plays with the idea of heaven as she believes enslaved people have the opportunity for salvation and can end up in heaven as a result. The religious ideal helps articulate the possible pro-slavery aspect of the poem. Earlier in the poem, she states, “mercy brought me from my pagan land.” She claims that the Christians saved her from her sinful land; however, the italics give a sense of sarcasm. As the line demonstrates pro-slavery, she may just be using sarcasm to show just the opposite of the line. She also states how the slaveholders “taught [her] benighted soul to understand.” The audience can interpret the connotation in the way that she does mean what she is saying. However, she may suggest that slavery has saved the religious aspect of her life. The split idea of sarcasm or truthfulness causes the pro-slavery ideal to be ambiguous.
All in all, the two concepts of pro-slavery and anti-slavery cause the poem to contradict itself, leaving the readers with two differing views on slavery. The xenophobia towards the slaves in America are illuminated throughout this poem. The religious benefit of slavery also presents itself through this poem, but holds room for sarcasm.
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” Poem analysis by Zane Johnson
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” is a poem written by Phillis Wheatley. In 1773 Wheatley published a book of poetry that she had written, including “On Being Brought from Africa to America.” Through sarcasm and clever word choice, Phillis Wheatley describes how negroes are viewed in 17th-century America.
Wheatley starts the poem by referring to Africa as her “Pagan” land. In the seventeen hundreds, the word “Pagan” was used almost exclusively as an insult. If someone was pagan, they were a heathen, and during this period, the general public was heavily influenced by religion. Wheatley not only calls her place of origin a pagan land but also claims to have a “benighted” soul. Throughout this poem, there is a theme of Wheatley repeatedly insulting herself. Wheatley leaves her writing style to be interpreted by the reader. When I read this poem, I read it in a sarcastic and satirical tone, whereas in the 1700s, it could be read as if she literally hated black people.
In the poem, Wheatley repeatedly uses contractions; at first glance, it is not anything out of the ordinary for a slave not to speak proper English. When you continue to read the poem, you notice that not only is Wheatley using big and complex words like “benighted” or “sable,” but she is also using them correctly. To the average reader, this may be unclear, but as you study the poem a little more carefully, you will notice that it is written in iambic pentameter. Using iambic pentameter further proves that Wheatley is more intelligent than most and makes the poem’s theme sound monotonous, as if it is a chant.
Wheatley uses her writing to express her disgust with the way negroes are viewed by the whites during that period. Through sarcasm and clever word choice, Phillis Wheatley describes how she is judged and treated differently because of her “diabolic die.”
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Caitlin Mohrman
In 1776, Phillis Wheatley wrote a poem about being brought to America. In the poem, she talked about being brought here and learned about Christianity. She also talks about how the people of America are racist and how they look down on her. She uses her rhyming words to convey a thankful tone towards those who brought her to America. However, to me, her poem was written in an anti-slavery tone.
In Wheatley’s poem, she stresses the importance of different words to emphasize them more in her poem. In one of these lines, “Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,/” she italicizes the word Pagan, which means non-Christian, to show that she was not a Christian.
Throughout the poem, she talks about how she learned about Christianity’s God and Saviour. Wheatley also talks about how the Americans were racist by calling African-Americans, “Their colour is a diabolical die.” She then uses this quote to call out the Christian Americans for also saying that everyone, including blacks, can, “join th’ angelic train.” Wheatley was calling
Americans hypocrites for being able to look down upon someone’s skin color while believing, anyone no matter their skin color, was allowed into heaven.
Phillis Wheatley was not allowed to publish this poem in the Americas so she decided to publish it in Great Britain. During this time, the War of Independence was going on between the Americas and Great Britain. Great Britain published the poem as a way to get slaves in the Americas on their side. By publishing this poem, it would show slaves that the people in America are racist and that they should join Great Britain, not the Americas.
Phillis Wheatley’s poem can be read different ways, but due to the time frame it was published and the way she wrote the poem, I feel that it was written against slavery. She sounds very sarcastic to me, as if she is almost too thankful that she was brought to the Americas, but in reality, she hates it. She has little additives like the stress on Pagan and Christians, that further emphasize her point which is why I think Wheatley wrote this poem in an anti-slavery tone.
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Isabella Grigsby
Phillis Wheatley, an African American woman, let her talents shine through, as she was an extremely gifted writer and poet. Wheatley was captured from West Africa at the age of seven, where she was then brought to America and purchased by the Wheatley family. The Wheatleys still had Phillis complete household chores and labor, but because of her young age, they decided to also teach her how to read and write. After being exposed to a realm that most other slaves will never come to know, Wheatley longed for more and continued to push herself academically.
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” is a well-known poem written by Wheatley that holds a dual meaning. From first glance, the poem seems to be in favor or grateful for slavery, but looking closer, Wheatley hides her criticism of white supremacy right under the nose of her owners. In her poem she writes “that there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too”, meaning she believes that there is a God, but these white people are her saviors too. Here, Wheatley is stating that the powerful white men have brought her to America from a poor-stricken life in Africa, therefore she looks upon them as equivalent to a God. This is a way of boosting the egos of slaveholders and justifying their acts. Wheatley continues using religious diction as she mentions “remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, may be refin’d, and join th’angelic train.” She says this to prove that often times people will justify slavery with the Bible, but it is actually a Christian hypocrisy in the fact that it does not matter the race, all are welcome in Heaven. It is also important to note Wheatley uses British spellings and publishing throughout this piece due to her learning being taught by English people are philosophies.
