Phillis Wheatly

If they had reality TV in 1773, I bet Phillis Wheatly would have made a very interesting subject for a series. Her spirit certainly did triumph over her circumstance of birth, especially displayed by the publishing of her poems at age 19(ish) years old.

The first poem in our selection, "On Being Brought from Africa to America" immediately struck me with her first line. 'Twas mercy brought me from my pagan land. How truly amazing her character must have been--to be grateful to have been a slave because she came to know Christ through it. Her poetry is a model for keeping things in perspective. She brings this gratefulness back into play again her next poem, "To the University of Cambridge, in New England." She called students to be fully grateful not only for their exposure to Christianity, but also their education, their resources to scan the heights... [as] sons of science.

I also love her uses of metaphors, particularly in the second stanza of "Thoughts on the Works of Providence." The peerless monarch of the ethereal train. God, as the mightiest of all, has no peer and rules over all of time, which itself is a graceful piece of art.

Basically, Phillis Wheatly is really cool and I would have wanted to be her friend. Inspiration for humanity!