Phillis Wheatley

Phillis Wheatley
It would be wise to discuss and cover the work and scholarship of Ms. Wheatley before she came to prominence and fame as a writer and poet. The experiences in her early life that colored and shaped her poetry have already been discussed. However, drilling down on the precise work that was coming form her during her nascent days as a poet and scholar are quite profound. She actually started as a poet at a rather young age. Indeed, her first work came at the young age of thirteen years. Even with her young age, she was fortunate enough to have that poem published in a local newspaper, that being the Newport Mercury. That fateful poem was about two men that nearly drowned at sea. Her first and only book was also a resounding success. That book, which came to be known as Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, came about in 1773. This, of course, was only seven years removed from her first poem. She was still only about twenty years old. There were many, however, that cast aspersions about Ms. Wheatley, to the extent that some said that she did not even write the material to begin with. Fortunately, her work was hailed and verified by none other than people like Selina Hastings, the Countess of Huntingdon in England, as well as John Hancock and seventeen other reputable men in the city of Boston [footnoteRef:1]. [1: Biography. 2017. "Phillis Wheatley". Biography.Com. https://www.biography.com/people/phillis-wheatley-9528784.]
The precise poem that shall be the focus of her early work, at least in this report, shall be On the death of a young lady of five years of age. The poem, in its entirety, is presented in the appendix of this report. The poem is listed on the Bartleby website. Even with the tragedy that she is summarizing and pontificating about, it is easy to see that she had a strong allegiance to God. The text throughout the poem is emblematic of that. These references start with the third line, with the stanza “on the kind bosom of eternal love”. She goes on to try and counsel the parents about the loss they are experiencing. Rather than lament and toil about the matter, Wheatley instead urges them to not dwell on it in a bad way. This is clearly seen when Wheatley says “this know, ye parents, nor her loss deplore, she feels the iron hand of pain no more” [footnoteRef:2]. This pattern continues throughout the poem. For example, the 21st line keeps pushing the same point when it says “perfect in bliss she from her heav’nly home, looks down and smiling beckons you to come, why then, fond parents, why these fruitless groans” 2. This pattern culminates at the end, in lines 35 and 36, when Wheatley speaks about how the stricken parents will be able to reunite with their lost and loved child. Indeed, this is the clear message when Wheatley says “yourselves, safe landed on the blissful shore, shall join your happy baby to part no more” 2. [2: Bartleby. 2017. "On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years Of Age. Phillis Wheatley. 1773. Poems On Various Subjects". Bartleby.Com. http://www.bartleby.com/150/8.html.]
Even with the mostly monolithic words noted above, Wheatley also notes the sometimes cruel dichotomies of life. This is even true when speaking about one’s belief in God. Indeed, line 30 says it best when it says “adore the God who gives and takes away, eye him in all, his holy name reverse”. This can obviously be very hard to say to some people. Parents who have just lost a young child wouyld presumably be among those that are the most averse to such counsel. Even so, it is something that Ms. Wheatley felt compelled to say as she was obviously a true believer in the Christian god. The yin to that blunt yang can be seen a few lines earlier. More to the point, line 26 starts an idea that makes the point well. This would be, of course, asking the question why they would want their daughter back given that she is ostensibly in a better place and is no longer suffering. Specifically, Wheatley says that “why would you wish your daughter back again? No---bow resign’d. Let hope your grief control” 2. Even if some might take her counsel as a little dogmatic or blunt, she is clearly both sympathetic to the loss of the child while at the same time being sure to support and foster the faith that the parents and she herself had.
Bibliography
Biography. 2017. "Phillis Wheatley". Biography.Com. https://www.biography.com/people/phillis-wheatley-9528784.
Bartleby. 2017. "On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years Of Age. Phillis Wheatley. 1773. Poems On Various Subjects". Bartleby.Com. http://www.bartleby.com/150/8.html.