Freedom and Enslavement

Wheatley subtly addresses themes of freedom and tyranny, drawing on her own experience of being enslaved and brought from Africa, while advocating for liberty and condemning oppression, notably in 'To the Right Honourable William, Earl of Dartmouth.'

The letter highlights Phillis's enslaved status while documenting her exceptional intellectual freedom through education.

Wheatley contrasts her physical journey from Africa ("Egyptian gloom") with spiritual freedom through Christ.

The closing line suggests that a monarch's smile can set his subjects free, touching on the concept of freedom granted by authority.

The poem contrasts the hope of political freedom under Dartmouth with the personal experience of enslavement, emphasizing the universal desire for liberty.