Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral · Concept
Classical and Biblical Allusion
Wheatley weaves references to Greek and Roman mythology (e.g., Apollo, Niobe, the Muses) alongside biblical stories (e.g., David and Goliath, Isaiah) to elevate her themes and demonstrate her erudition, as in 'Niobe in Distress' and 'Goliath of Gath.'
Wheatley weaves references to Greek and Roman mythology (e.g., Apollo, Niobe, the Muses) alongside biblical stories (e.g., David and Goliath, Isaiah) to elevate her themes and demonstrate her erudition, as in 'Niobe in Distress' and 'Goliath of Gath.'
Wheatley frequently references classical mythology (e.g., Apollo, Niobe) and biblical stories (e.g., David and Goliath) to enrich her moral and spiritual themes.
The poem is rich with references to Homer, Virgil, the Muses, Helicon, Parnassus, and figures like Patroclus and Achilles, grounding the speaker's ambition in classical tradition.
The poem invokes the Muses and uses epic conventions to retell a biblical story, blending classical and scriptural elements.
The invocation of the nine muses and the figure of Aurora are direct classical allusions, situating the poem within the Greco-Roman literary tradition.
