Poetry · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for Poetry by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper.

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Chapter 1
Eliza Harris
A mother flees with her child across a frozen river, driven by desperate love and the terror of slavery. She risks death to reach a free shore, where she is sheltered by abolitionists. The poem condemns America's hypocrisy of liberty and justice while millions are enslaved.
Chapter 2
The Soul
This chapter is a poetic meditation on the immeasurable worth of the human soul. It argues that no earthly wealth, fame, or joy can outweigh the value of a deathless soul, and that all material treasures are lighter than dust when weighed against immortal worth.
Chapter 3
The Syrophenician Woman
A Syrophenician woman, desperate to save her suffering child, approaches Jesus with faith and persistence. Despite being initially ignored and told that his mission is only for Israel, she humbly pleads for even the crumbs of his mercy. Her unwavering faith moves Jesus to grant her request, healing her child.
Chapter 4
The Slave Mother
A mother, desperate to save her four children from the horrors of slavery, flees across the icy Ohio River. When she realizes that Ohio offers no refuge, she resolves to kill her children rather than see them enslaved, and in a moment of tragic desperation, she stabs one of them. The poem ends with a plea to the nation to recognize the inhumanity of slavery and stand for freedom.
Chapter 5
Bible Defence of Slavery
The chapter condemns religious leaders who use the Bible to justify slavery, accusing them of perverting truth and insulting God by defending the cruel institution.

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Eliza Harris

The Soul

The Syrophenician Woman

The Slave Mother

Bible Defence of Slavery