Phillis Wheatley (1753 – 1784) was the first African American to have published a literary book in the field of imaginative writings. She was born in Gambia and was made a slave at the age of seven in having been purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston where she learned to read and write and then developed interest in poetry at the instance of her owners. She had started a tradition of African American Literature in using correct and precise rhyme schemes and meters and combined the influence of neo classicism and religion in her poems. The poetry of Phillis Wheatley is considered to be very important in literary contribution, primarily for her ability to have proved her intellect as matching and also as being superior to several people who were considered superior to her. She became immensely popular and widely accepted in literary circles because she wrote in styles that were controlled with rigid boundaries and in heroic couplets in a diction that was considered as comprising of ornate neo classicism. These styles were customary and well accepted during her time. Her poetry has been christened as being exceptionally mature and it is in this context that despite having a background of being a slave during her early years, her poetry became worth studying in enhancing the literary aptitude of people during the period. Phillis is highly appreciated for her poetry which had expressed compassion for the American Revolution especially at a time when the colonies in which she lived in slavery were fighting to pass over the bindings of their own slavery to other countries such as England.
Her African American poems created a genre of African American literature and her collection of poems that were published in 1773 under the heading, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, brought her instant fame and recognition from people such as George Washington. She also traveled to England where she was highly praised for her poetry. She had also written a stunning piece of poetry in 1768 wherein she praised George III for having abolished the Stamp Act, but with the strengthening of the American Revolution, her writings became more of themes from the perspective of the colonists. Whitley’s poems primarily revolved around themes pertaining to Christianity, many of which were dedicated to celebrated individuals. She very rarely narrated about herself in her poems which were classical, religious and abstract themes. Wheatley had also to bear the onslaught of white extremists who could not reconcile themselves to a black woman being extraordinarily intelligent in having won laurels and accolades. She had to protect her literary abilities in court on this account. She was examined by several distinguished authorities of the time such as Thomas Hutchinson, John Hancock, Charles Chauncey and John Erving, who concluded that all her works were original creations and also signed in token of attestation of the authenticity of all that she had written. Such attestation was published in the preface of her book which had to be published from London since Boston publishers refused to come forth with it in America. After her book Poems on Various Subjects was published, Wheatley came to be known as the most famous African in the world during those times. She came to be honored by some of the founding leaders of America, including George Washington and her works have come to be viewed as greatly enhancing the genre of African American literature.
References
Phillis Wheatley, Complete Writings, 2001, Penguin Classics.