English 52 Outline for Classicism Report

7/24/2019 English 52 Outline for Classicism Report

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Outline

I. Phillis Wheatley, Americas First Black Woman Poet

Born in Senegal, Africa in 17!, she "as sol# into sla$ery at the age of se$en to %ohn

&tailor' an# Susannah Wheatley of Boston. Although originally (rought into the Wheatley

househol# as a ser$ant an# atten#ant to Wheatley)s "ife, Phillis "as soon acce*te# as a

mem(er of the family, an# "as raise# "ith the Wheatley)s other t"o chil#ren. +ery likely

she "as ki#na**e# into sla$ery she "as (rought to Boston on a sla$ing $essel name#

-he Phillis.-

Phillis soon #is*laye# her remarka(le talents (y learning to rea# an# "rite /nglish,

es*ecially the *oetry of Ale0an#er Po*e, soon translating O$i# into heroic cou*lets. She

"as taught (y ary Wheatley, the 123year3ol# #aughter of her o"ner "ithin 14 months

she coul# rea# #ifficult *assages in the Bi(le. At the age of t"el$e she "as rea#ing the

5reek an# 6atin classics, an# *assages from the Bi(le. At thirteen she "rote her first

*oem.

he Wheatleys a**reciate# her talents, an# sho"e# her off to their frien#s many came to

$isit "ith this -li$ely an# (rilliant con$ersationalist.- She "as thoroughly in#octrinate# into

the al$inist theology of ongregationalism.

Phillis (ecame a Boston sensation after she "rote a *oem on the #eath of the e$angelical

*reacher 5eorge Whitefiel# in 1778. hree years later thirty3nine of her *oems "ere

*u(lishe# in 6on#on as 9Poems on +arious Su(:ects, ;eligious an# oral.< It "as the first

(ook to (e *u(lishe# (y a (lack American.

Wheatley achie$e# international reno"n, tra$eling to 6on#on to *romote her (ook an#

( i ll # ll i # ( t # i l # liti l fi f th #


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( i ll # ll i # ( t # i l # liti l fi f th #

"orshi* of sun go#s e*icting her African culure'. his i#ea of the sun "orshi* is

significant #ue to the fact that her *arents "ere sun "orshi*ers. his is also "hy she

refers to the #ifferent "or#s for sun so many times. he "or# 9Aurora a**ears eight

times, A*ollo se$en, Phoe(us t"el$e, an# Sol t"ice.< he "or# light is of high im*ortanceto her, (ecause it marks her history. herefore the significance of her "riting a(out it

allu#es to the *ast "hich she has left (ehin#. But creating these e0*eriences for the

rea#er gi$es her "ork an emotional a**eal that ca*tures her rea#ers.

lassicism is the use of language that maintains the formal as*ects of language (ut

refuses the norm. herefore, Phillis Wheatley (eing the first African American *oet is not

only an accom*lishment in itself (ut for her to set outsi#e the norms an# fin# a "riting

style that "orks for her is courageous. Shiel#s sums u* Wheatleys "riting (y saying,

most of Wheatleys *oems are 9contem*lati$e an# reflecti$e rather than (rilliant an#

shimmering.< @er contem*lati$e an# reflecti$e as*ects as "ell as her race are "hat set

her a*art.

She "as free# after rs. Wheatley)s #eath in 177 an# marrie# %ohn Peters in 1772, a

free (lack Bostonian, (ut her life "as chaotic.

6ittle is kno"n of Peters, "ho "as e$i#ently han#some an# e#ucate#, (ut una(le to settle

in any $ocation. hey li$e# in great *o$erty she ha# three chil#ren an# all #ie# in infancy.

She ne$er foun# another *atron for her *oetry, though she continue# to "rite *oems,

o(scuring her o"n *ersonal or#eals. She "rote o$er 188 *oems, (ut at least !8 *oems

"ere e$i#ently lost. @er long *hysical frailty, har# life an# *o$erty le# to her #eath at !1,

"ith her thir# chil# #ying shortly after.

She is honore# as the first African American "oman to *u(lish a (ook an# the first to


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B. S;CC;/

Lines:2

Meter:Iam(ic *entameter

Form:@eroic cou*lets

o ;hymes (in# the t"o lines together as a small unit calle# a cou*let (ut, (ecause of

their iam(ic *entameter, these are kno"n as a heroic cou*let &rhyming *airs of

$erse in iam(ic *entameter'.

Rhyme scheme:AABBDD

. FI5C;AI+/ 6A=5CA5/?

Personification:It gi$es human a(ilities &(ringing' to an inanimate or a(stract thing&mercy'.

;eferences?

htt*?EE""".earlyamerica.comEre$ie"E"inter4E"heatley.html

htt*?EE""".$cu.e#uEeng"e(E"e(te0tsEWheatleyE*hil(io.htm

htt*?EE""".*(s.orgE"g(hEaiaE*artGEG*1G.html

htt*?EE""".thefe#eralist*a*ers.orgEhistoryE*hillis3"heatley3first3african3american3*oet
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/winter96/wheatley.htmlhttp://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Wheatley/philbio.htmhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p12.htmlhttp://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Wheatley/philbio.htmhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p12.htmlhttp://www.earlyamerica.com/review/winter96/wheatley.html


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Des*ite #e(ate among many historians, Phyllis Wheatley has (een recogniHe# as a trueAmerican *oet. Being a sla$e "ho coul# rea# an# "rite "as only one of her accom*lishments.

Wheatleys tact not only allo"e# her to *ro#uce successful *ieces of *oetry, (ut it also create#

"orks that "oul# ser$e her re$olutionary cause in the most su(tle of manners. his e0cer*t from

her *oem, 9On Being Brought from Africa to America< &=AA 74, 6ines 13G, 732' is :ust one

e0am*le of that?"as mercy (rought me from my Pagan lan#,

aught my (enighte# soul to un#erstan#J

;emem(er, hristians, =egros, (lack as ain,ay (e refin#, an# :oin th angelic train.


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Summary

So, the s*eaker is a sla$e that "as (rought from Africa to America(y -mercy.- An# it)s mercy

that con$erts the s*eaker to hristianity, "hich she kne" nothing a(out in Africa. Although

*eo*le $ie" her race negati$ely, the *oem reflects her (elief that anyone, e$en -=egroes,- can(e sa$e# (y :oining hristianity. he en#.

6ines 13G)"as mercy (rought me from my Pagan lan#,

aught my (enighte# soul to un#erstan#

What in the "orl# is -)"as-L he night (efore hristmasL =ot e0actly. It)s like saying -it

"as.- So "hy #oes that matterL Well, for a fe" reasons. One reason is that it #ates the *oem.his "as "ritten in the late 1788s. So, you kno", it)s ol#. Our s*eaker is "riting in the

$ernacular of her #ay.

he secon# reason is formal. Ku*, "e)re gonna get technical right off the (atM his is onlythe first line of the *oem, (ut it)s o($iously "ritten in iam(ic *entameter. &For more on this,

check out -Form an# eter.-' We #on)t kno" if that)ll last throughout the "hole *oem, (ut

"riting -)t"as- makes for only one, unstresse# sylla(le, "hile -it "as- is t"o sylla(lesone

stresse# an# one unstresse#an# that "oul# change the metrical rhythm of the *oem. hat)s a

lot of formal talk for an informal (eginning, rightL We)ll get more s*ecific in the form an# metersection, (ut for no", let)s :ust say it soun#s like our s*eaker is *aying attention to the rhythm of

her lines.

he s*eaker says she "as (rought from a -Pagan- lan#. Where "oul# that (eL An# "hy is ititaliciHe#L It)s *ro(a(ly Africa, (ecause, ummm, the title is -On Being Brought from Africa to

America,- (ut it)s also a country that #i#n)t *ractice hristianity. hat is, Africa re*resents a *re3

hristian state for the s*eaker.

Why is -Pagan- italiciHe#L Anything "ritten in s>uiggly lines must (e im*ortant, rightL

Italics are use# for titles an# em*hasis, (ut there is more than one "ay to rea# them in her*oem?

&1' he italics coul# (e rea# as the s*eaker)s em*hasis that she came from a 5o#3less

country It)s o($iously an im*ortant issue in her *oem an# the s*eaker "ants us to focus on her


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rhyming. ;hymes (in# the t"o lines together as a small unit calle# a cou*let (ut, (ecause oftheir iam(ic *entameter, these guys are kno"n as a heroic cou*let. &Because, as you kno",

iam(ic *entameter gi$es you su*er *o"ers.' For tons more on the rhythm an# the rhyme of this

*oem, you can check out -Form an# eter- an# -Soun# heck.- %ust kee* an eye out for more

rhymes in the future an# listen for ho" they (in# the *oem together.

6ines !3

hat there)s a 5o#, that there)s a Sa$iour too?

Once I re#em*tion neither sought nor kne".

he s*eaker states "hat mercy taught her? 5o# e0ists, an# 5o# sa$es. ;e# alertM ore

mysterious italicsM So, no" "e)$e got -Pagan- an# -Sa$iour- ca*italiHe# an# italiciHe#. his coul#

still (e rea# "ith sarcasm, (ut it seems unlikely. &he speaker%s tone seems sincere and

she%s emphasi'ing the contrast between Pagan and Savior$ (n other words those twowords are drawn together as being opposites$ &hrough mercy the speaker was taken

from the Pagan !and and taught that there%s a )od who can save her$

here)s some repetition going on in line three, too. ;ea#y for itL "&hat there%s" isrepeated. WhyL (n her case this kind of repeated phrasing can e*press the speaker%s

passion about her topic$It)s like listening to someone get e0cite# a(out "hat she)s talking

a(out. But there)s moreM +ot on!y has mercy taught the speaker "that there%s a )od" but

a!so that that )od is a "Saviour$" (n other words the repetition works as a doub!ing

effect for the new )od that the speaker has !earned about$=o" that there)s a goo# use ofre*etition, noL &See "hat "e #i# thereL'

=e0t, the s*eaker says she ne$er kne" a(out re#em*tion or that there "as a 5o# "ho

coul# sa$e her. An# she "asn)t searching for re#em*tion either.=otice the synta0 of her line. Why #oes she say -sought nor kne",- instea# of the other

"ay aroun#L She coul#n)t ha$e sought something she #i#n)t kno" a(out, so "hy not say, -I

neither kne" nor sought-L One reason is that, like all goo# neo3classical style# *oets, she "ants

to kee* her rhyme scheme going.

-oo- an# -kne"- rhyme. -oo- an# -sought-L /h, not so much.Also, our s*eaker is someone "ho has gone through a change. ;emem(er, she feels like

mercy "as a gift that allo"e# her to (e (rought from her Pagan lan# to the kno"le#ge of 5o#.

he last line of her cou*let is referring to a time (efore the s*eaker "as change# -Once- means


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synec#oche, using a *art &the eye' to re*resent a "hole &the *eo*le'. Peo*le *ro(a(ly #i#literally look scornfully at her, (ut she)s also talking a(out the figurati$e mean3mugging that sa"

sla$es as less than human (ecause of their skin color.

She *uts the secon# line in >uotations, as if it)s s*oken from a "hite, racist American. She

#oesn)t come out an# say that, of course. She says that it)s only -some,- (ut she is a#mitting

that there are others in society "ho $ie" (lack *eo*le negati$ely. /$er hear# your /nglishteacher tell you to use e0am*les to (ack u* your argumentsL If not, "ell, you shoul# #o it

any"ay, (ut if you ha$e, this is our s*eaker (eing a stu#ious rhetorician, an# using a >uote to

su**ort her *oint of $ie".But "hy -#ie-L It #oesn)t really make any sense. We kno" that -#ie- is a"fully close to

-#ye.- So this coul# (e a *lay on "or#s, in that the color of the s*eaker)s skin is an e$il

&-#ia(olic-' color. It)s as if she)s tainte# "ith e$il an# go#lessness, :ust (ecause of her race. At

least, that)s ho" African3Americans "ere $ie"e# (ack in her #ay.

-Die- is also #eath &as in, you kno", toJ#ie'. =o >uestion a(out that. She coul# (e sayingthat *eo*le think her skin color has con#emne# her to #eath(ut coul# this (e more of a

s*iritual #eath, may(eL Perha*s this is saying that she)s inferior (ecause she)s (lack, an#

outsi#e of 5o#)s grace.o (e honest, though, the *un of -#ie- "ith -#ye- "orks so much (etter, so "e)re gonna

*lace our money on that (et.

6ines 732

;emem(er, hristians, =egroes, (lack as ain,ay (e refin)#, an# :oin th) angelic train.

It soun#s like the s*eaker is gi$ing a lecture here, almost like she)s trying to teach theau#ience something. ;emem(erM It)s like running out the #oor an# your mother saying, -Don)t

forget your lunch.- Only our s*eaker is talking a(out hristianity, race, an# hea$en. 6unch.

@ea$en. Same thing, rightL Well, not really, (ut the *oint here is that the s*eaker)s tone is

authoritati$e, as if a##ressing an au#ience that #oesn)t (elie$e >uite "hat the s*eaker (elie$es.

So, "ho is the au#ience any"ayL ;e# Alert GM We)$e got all kin#s of italics u* in here? hristians,=egroes, an# ain. First thing)s first? the s*eaker is a##ressing all hristians. hat *art is easy.

But then, there)s a comma, an# the "or# -=egroes.- If there "as a *erio#, or a semicolon, an#

the s*eaker "ante# to se*arate hristians an# =egroes "e)# think she "as talking a(out t"o


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he last line of the *oem refers to the s*eaker)s s*iritual a"akening. %ust as mercyenlightene# her earlier in the *oem, all hristians can (e -refin)# an# :oin th) angelic train.- In

other "or#s, 5o#)s sa$ing grace reaches out to all hristians, an# they can :oin -th) angelic

train- &most likely, @ea$en'. @ere our s*eaker is using a meta*hor to e>uate this train "ith

@ea$en.

no" "hy that)s e0tra coolL eta*hors are a kin# of motion, an intellectual mo$ement (et"eent"o things. So, as @ea$en (ecomes this angelic train, there)s a mo$ement of sense3making that

the rea#er gets &in thinking through ho" -th) angelic train- re*resents @ea$en' that is uni>ue to

meta*horical language.What)s su*er3e0tra3cool is that the s*eaker is talking a(out another kin# of motion, too?

(eing taken from Africa &-Pagan lan#-' to the enlightenment of hristianity, $ia mercy. All this

motion an# transformation lets us kno" that, if sinners(lack or notcan (e con$erte# an#

sa$e#, then surely there can (e some sort of change *ossi(le on /arth as "ell, rightL Our

s*eaker coul# e$en (e allu#ing to a change in the "ay "e $ie" *eo*le of #ifferent races. =o"that there)s the goo# stuff of *oetry.

Analysis

Form an# eter

,eroic -oup!ets in (ambic Pentameter

We mentione# it earlier, (ut "e)ll gi$e you the lo"#o"n no". -On Being Brought- is"ritten in heroic cou*lets. hey "ere the in3thing for all the *oets (ack in Wheatley)s #ay.

Basically, she rhyme#, she "rote in iam(ic *entameter, an# her *oetic style "as all a(out

reason, form, an# restraint. She "asn)t a romantic *oet, using all sorts of flo"ery language an#o$er(lo"n emotions. She staye# cool, use# reason, an# ne$er colore# outsi#e of the formal

lines.

hat)s (ecause she *ro(a(ly "ante# to imitate the neo3classical greats, like Ale0an#er

Po*e. @er $irtuosic han#ling of formal *oetry "oul# earn her some serious street cre# from the

e#ucate# "hite au#ience an# hel* esta(lish her as a serious *oetic talent. It "as no small thingfor a sla$e to (e *u(lishing *oems. Writing formal $erse like this "as like saying, -See, I)$e got

"hat it takes, :ust like the "hite guys that came (efore me.-

So let)s get #o"n an# #irty a(out the meter "ith the first t"o lines &the (ol# are the


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Well, Wheatley "as taken as a sla$e islike', (ut the Wheatley family treate# her as oneof their o"n an# ga$e her a formal e#ucation &like'. So she coul# rea# /nglish, 6atin, an# 5reek

as a chil#. =ot (a#, rightL An# she "as also "riting her o"n *oems. hat (rings us, finally, to

our *ointthis s*eaker soun#s like a calm, collecte#, e#ucate# *erson making an argument.

BlahM @o" (oringM

But, actually, the s*eaker is echoing the neo3classical sentiment of restraint an# (alance.hink of a "ell3reasone# *hiloso*her laying #o"n the col# har# truth a(out racial e>uality.

;ather than getting u* an# reciting a *assionate s*eech &think artin 6uther ing %r.', Wheatley

is making a calm, collecte# statement (ase# on her e0*erience an# transition from (eing a chil#in Western Africa to an e#ucate# *oet in America. he strength of her $oice comes in its

calculate# #eli$ery of each line an# ho" it)s neatly (oun# "ith rhyme throughout the *oem.

Setting

he title gi$es it all a"ay? the *oem takes *lace in America, rightL It also tells us "hat

setting "e)$e left (ehin#. he s*eaker references her homelan# &Africa', (ut "e kno" she left.

As for the ol# *oetic tro*es of (eautiful African flo"ers, the sky, the stars, the moon"e)re notgetting any of that. A(out her ne" home, "e)re also lacking in #etailsno stars or (ars, no

names of cities, nothing a(out "hat America looks like.

At least, "e #on)t get the *hysical lan#sca*e. Our s*eaker is more concerne# "ith the

lan#sca*e of her soul, "e coul# say, an# ho" it)s (een sa$e#. @er i#entity as a (lack "oman an#

a con$erte# hristian ser$es as the intellectual setting of the *oem. In other "or#s, her *oemtakes *lace in America, yes, (ut also ha**ens ami# the racial tensions of the late eighteenth

century "hen she "as "riting.

When she says things like -sa(le race- an# -#ia(olic #ie,- she)s not talking a(out an actual*lace, (ut a(out cultural norms of racism that she struggle# "ith in America. So no, there are no

*ictures>ue lan#sca*es of =e" /nglan# here, (ut yes, there)s a lot to see from the *ers*ecti$e

of a (lack "oman "ho con$erte# to hristianity in America, "ay (ack in the #ay "hen sla$es

"ere yet to (e free#.

Sound Check

Remember playing on monkey bars during recess? Swinging back and forth while


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also linked together by the idea of the speaker's conversion and change! 3retty cool,huh?

$nd don't miss consonance( hat's right, there's rhyming in these lines, but there'salso some sound play with fun things like the letter S! Check it out1

Some view our sable race with scornful eye! 4-Hear the S in sable and the S/sound at the end of )race)? 5ow swing ahead to the

S in scornful! 6h yeah, there's the S in )Some) too! .ut why? #s it 7ust poetic luck that"heatley ended up with so many S sounds in one line? 3robably not! 8ook at themeaning of those words1 some, sable, race, scornful! #t's like an abridged version of theline! She's talking about how some people think of her black race with scorn! So all ofthose words are linked sonically, but they're also tied together in the message of the line!Sa/weet(

3oetic monkey bars can be fun for hours! 8ook through the rest of the poem and*nd some other sonic )bars) that your ear can catch and that hold the poem together asyou read through!

$llusion

"hen poets refer to other great works, people, and events, it9s usually notaccidental! 3ut on your super/sleuth hat and *gure out why!

.iblical Reference1 Cain :-

Symbols, #magery, "ordplay

Darkness Imagery5o, we're not talking about nighttime! $nd we don't mean the dark hours before

the light! #n fact, we think it's super/fascinating that our speaker never actually uses the

word )dark,) but she does use several images of darkness throughout the poem torepresent both physical and spiritual darkness! 6ur speaker is black, and the poemrevolves around racial and spiritual issues of being black in $merica! So, even though the

t l d )d k) i 't d ' t t l t d k h d d h * d


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darkness, literally referring to black skin! .ut it's also *gurative, because the speakerassociates darkness with a spiritual darkness! She's saying that others view black peopleas evil, or without ahtee-!.ut she could've meant )dye,) as in her skin color is )dyed) black! Still, the associationwith )die,) as in death, is another darkness that can be understood as someone without


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to publish a book! >eah, we'd say she was )re*ned!) .ut what she's talking about in thisline is being re*ned through faith in


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English 52 Outline for Classicism Report

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