What does Wheatley reference in her letter to the minister?
Wheatley references rhetoric of the Revolution such as: freedom, liberty, and natural rights. Wheatley refers to missionary work on the African continent.
What was Phillis Wheatley letter about?
In 1765, when Phillis Wheatley was about eleven years old, she wrote a letter to Reverend Samson Occum, a Mohegan Indian and an ordained Presbyterian minister. On February 11, 1774, Wheatley wrote Occum again, to comment on an indictment of slave-holding Christian ministers that he had written.
What was Phillis Wheatley motivation to be a poet?
Her intellectual curiosity inspired both her love for writing and poetry, as seen in her publication of Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral in 1773. Scholars of literature have examined the works of Phillis Wheatley in significant detail and placed them in the context of the Revolutionary era.
Did Phillis Wheatley write about slavery?
Born in West Africa, she was sold into slavery at the age of seven or eight and transported to North America. She was enslaved by the Wheatley family of Boston….
| Phillis Wheatley | |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Period | American Revolution |
| Notable works | Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773) |
| Spouse | John Peters |
What words does Wheatley use when she writes about those who took her from Africa?
She uses a variety of different words that convey this message of religion. In the first line, Wheatley uses the words “Mercy” and “Pagan”. She was brought from Africa to America as a slave and she was fortunate because she was brought to a family that provided her with an education and introduced her to religion.
What does the speaker say about her new home in America in on being brought from Africa to America?
The speaker insists that redemption is possible for everyone if they are given the opportunity to learn about the existence of God and the teachings of Jesus. The speaker first expresses gratitude for her conversion to Christianity when she states that it was “mercy” that brought her from Africa to America.
What message is Wheatley making in the last two lines of the poem?
The last two lines refer to the equality inherent in Christian doctrine in regard to salvation, for Christ accepted everyone. Through the argument that she and others of her race can be saved, Wheatley slyly establishes that blacks are equal to whites.
What is the pagan land mentioned in the first line?
Tell where in the poem you found the answer. The pagan land referred to is Africa. The answer is to be found towards the end of the poem in line number 7, when the speaker says, “Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain…”
What does Twas mercy brought me from my pagan land meaning?
Remember, she feels like mercy was a gift that allowed her to be brought from her “Pagan” land to the knowledge of God. The last line of her couplet is referring to a time before the speaker was changed. Because she was a “Pagan.” In the dark.
What does benighted soul mean?
1 lacking cultural, moral, or intellectual enlightenment; ignorant. 2 Archaic overtaken by night.
What pagan means?
: a person who worships many gods or goddesses or the earth or nature : a person whose religion is paganism. old-fashioned + often offensive : a person who is not religious or whose religion is not Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. See the full definition for pagan in the English Language Learners Dictionary. pagan.
What is an example of pagan?
The definition of a pagan is a person who worships many gods or who worships nature and the Earth. An example of a pagan is someone who celebrates the winter solstice as a religious holiday. A person who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew; heathen.
Who did pagans worship?
Most pagans worship the old pre-Christian gods and goddesses through seasonal festivals and other ceremonies. Observance of these festivals is very important to pagans, and those in hospital will generally wish to celebrate them in some form.
What is the biblical meaning of pagan?
Pagan is derived from the Late Latin paganus, which was used at the end of the Roman Empire to name those who practiced a religion other than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. Early Christians often used the term to refer to non-Christians who worshiped multiple deities.
Who are pagans in Bible?
To Christians, the most important distinction was whether or not someone worshipped the one true God. Those who did not (polytheist, monotheist, or atheist) were outsiders to the Church and thus considered pagan.
What are some pagan traditions?
20 Modern Traditions with Pagan Origins
- Our Obsession with Cats. When we ooh and ahh over our temperamental and adorable furry friends, we’re taking place in a tradition that stretches back to ancient Egypt.
- Knocking on Wood.
- Christmas.
- Halloween.
- Days of the Week.
- Months of the Year.
- Covering Your Mouth to Yawn.
- Wedding Rings.