On Being Brought from Africa to America
Phillis Wheatley
‘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.
Phillis Wheatley (1753- 1784) was the first African-American to author a published book of poetry (Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, 1773). Born in West Africa and bought by the Wheatley family, the poet’s first tutor was the eldest Wheatley daughter.
After witnessing her talent for poetics, the Wheatley family encouraged her writing, and Phillis’ emancipation occurred shortly after the publication of her book. Celebrated by many of America’s founding fathers, including George Washington, Phillis Wheatley remains a beloved icon of American poetry.