Christian Redemption and Salvation
The poems consistently emphasize Christian theology, focusing on redemption through Jesus Christ's sacrifice, the promise of eternal life, and the importance of faith, as seen in poems like 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' and 'To the University of Cambridge.'
Where it surfaces
Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral
The poems consistently emphasize the possibility of spiritual salvation through Christian faith, often contrasting earthly suffering with heavenly reward.
On Virtue
The speaker seeks Virtue's guidance to 'endless life and bliss,' echoing Christian salvation themes.
To the University of Cambridge, in New-England
The poem centers on Christ's sacrifice and the call for students to embrace redemption.
On Being Brought from Africa to America
The poem centers on the speaker's redemption through Christianity, contrasting her former pagan state with her new faith.
On the Death of the Rev. Dr. Sewell. 1769
The poem emphasizes Sewell's redemption through Jesus' blood and his attainment of heavenly bliss.
On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield. 1770
Central theme of the poem: Whitefield offers Jesus as the 'only good' and 'life-giving stream,' promising redemption and divine sonship to all believers.
Death and the Afterlife
Many elegies and funeral poems explore death as a transition to a heavenly afterlife, offering consolation to mourners by depicting the deceased as ascending to blissful immortality, as in 'On the Death of the Rev. Dr. Sewell' and 'On the Death of a Young Gentleman.'
Where it surfaces
On the Death of the Rev. Dr. Sewell. 1769
Sewell is depicted as ascending to the immortal shore and joining the happy dead in eternal day.
On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield. 1770
Whitefield's death is portrayed as a triumphant ascent to an immortal throne in heaven, with the tomb holding his dust until resurrection.
On the Death of a Young Gentleman
The poem centers on death as a passage to heaven, with vivid imagery of the soul's seat and divine joys.
To a Lady on the Death of Three Relations
The poem explores Death's dominion over all creation and the soul's liberation and ascent to heavenly bliss.
To a Lady on Her Remarkable Preservation in an Hurricane in North-Carolina
The poem reflects on eternal consequences and the future doom, urging contemplation of the afterlife.
To a Gentleman and Lady on the Death of the Lady’s Brother and Sister, and a Child of the Name of Avis, Aged One Year
The poem dwells on death's dominion over all humanity and the promise of heavenly immortality for the faithful.
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.'
Where it surfaces
Letter to the Publisher
The letter highlights Phillis's enslaved status while documenting her exceptional intellectual freedom through education.
To the University of Cambridge, in New-England
Wheatley contrasts her physical journey from Africa ("Egyptian gloom") with spiritual freedom through Christ.
To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty. 1768
The closing line suggests that a monarch's smile can set his subjects free, touching on the concept of freedom granted by authority.
To the Right Honourable William, Earl of Dartmouth, His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for North-America, etc.
The poem contrasts the hope of political freedom under Dartmouth with the personal experience of enslavement, emphasizing the universal desire for liberty.
XI
The act of resigning New England's fields for Britannia may imply a choice or constraint related to freedom and allegiance.
III
The chapter touches on violated laws and grievances, hinting at themes of oppression and the struggle for freedom.
Divine Providence and Nature
The natural world is portrayed as a reflection of God's wisdom, power, and goodness, with poems like 'Thoughts on the Works of Providence' celebrating creation as evidence of divine order and benevolence.
Where it surfaces
To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty. 1768
The poem invokes God's guidance and protection for the king, linking earthly rule to divine will.
Goliath of Gath
David's victory is attributed to Jehovah's power, emphasizing divine intervention over human strength.
Thoughts on the Works of Providence
The entire poem is a meditation on God's providence as revealed through the natural world—the sun, seasons, sleep, and growth—all pointing to divine wisdom and goodness.
An Hymn to the Morning
The poem celebrates the natural beauty of dawn as a manifestation of divine order, with Aurora's progress and the awakening of the world reflecting providential design.
An Hymn to the Evening
The evening landscape is portrayed as a manifestation of God's grandeur and care, inspiring virtue and worship.
Isaiah 63:1–8
God's omnipotence is displayed in the battle, and Zion's security reflects divine protection over the faithful.
Virtue and Moral Guidance
Wheatley repeatedly exhorts readers to pursue virtue, piety, and moral rectitude, warning against sin and temptation, as seen in 'On Virtue' and 'To the University of Cambridge,' where she urges students to shun evil.
Where it surfaces
On Virtue
The poem is a direct appeal to Virtue for moral guidance through youth and toward eternal life.
Goliath of Gath
David's faith and courage serve as a moral example, contrasting with Goliath's pride and defiance.
Thoughts on the Works of Providence
The poem urges gratitude, prayer, and moral reflection, warning against neglecting the 'filial pray'r' and emphasizing the duty to praise God.
An Hymn to the Evening
The poem urges the heart to glow with virtue and seek purity, guarded from sin through divine grace.
On Recollection
The poem contrasts the torment of vice with the peace of virtue, calling on Virtue to guide the poet's future days.
To Captain H⸺d, of the 65th Regiment
Virtue is praised as a key attribute of the captain, alongside valor.
Race and Identity
Wheatley confronts racial prejudice and asserts the spiritual equality of African people, using her own identity as an 'Ethiop' or 'Afric's muse' to challenge racist assumptions, as in 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' and 'To S. M. A Young African Painter.'
Where it surfaces
Letter to the Publisher
Phillis's African origins and her mastery of English and Latin challenge contemporary racial stereotypes about intellectual capacity.
To Maecenas
The speaker questions why only Terence among 'Afric's sable race' received poetic grace, directly engaging with themes of racial identity and literary recognition.
On Being Brought from Africa to America
Wheatley addresses racial prejudice directly, asserting that Black people can be saved and join the angelic train despite scornful views.
Grief and Consolation
The collection frequently addresses personal and communal grief, offering religious consolation by redirecting mourners' focus to heavenly reunion and divine will, as in 'To a Lady on the Death of Her Husband' and 'On the Death of a Young Lady of Five Years of Age.'
Where it surfaces
On the Death of the Rev. Dr. Sewell. 1769
The poet mourns the loss but finds comfort in Sewell's salvation and the promise of heaven.
On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield. 1770
The poem expresses communal grief over Whitefield's loss but offers consolation through the vision of his eternal glory and the hope of reunion.
On the Death of a Young Lady of Five Years of Age
The speaker directly addresses parental grief, urging its transformation into grateful praise and hopeful acceptance.
On the Death of a Young Gentleman
The speaker addresses the parents' anguish, offering spiritual comfort and urging them to look to God.
To a Lady on the Death of Her Husband
The speaker directly addresses the mourner, telling her to cease tears and cast away anguish, offering the hope of heavenly reunion as comfort.
To a Lady on the Death of Three Relations
The speaker urges the mourner to cease weeping and find hope in the eternal joys awaiting the departed.
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.'
Where it surfaces
Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral
Wheatley frequently references classical mythology (e.g., Apollo, Niobe) and biblical stories (e.g., David and Goliath) to enrich her moral and spiritual themes.
To Maecenas
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.
Goliath of Gath
The poem invokes the Muses and uses epic conventions to retell a biblical story, blending classical and scriptural elements.
An Hymn to the Morning
The invocation of the nine muses and the figure of Aurora are direct classical allusions, situating the poem within the Greco-Roman literary tradition.
Isaiah 63:1–8
The poem adapts the biblical prophecy of Isaiah 63, using martial and viticultural imagery to convey theological truths.
On Recollection
Mneme, the sacred nine (Muses), Phoebe, and Maro are classical references used to frame the poem's meditation on memory.
