Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral

Phillis Wheatley (1753 - 1784)

Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American to publish a book of poetry in 1773. Born in West Africa, she was sold into slavery at age seven, and bought by a wealthy Massachusetts family who taught her to read and write. Her extraordinary literary gifts led to the publication of her "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral," and to her eventual emancipation by her owners. Although some of the poems demonstrate an apparent acceptance of the racist values of the white slave-owning classes (which viewed Africans as savage), Wheatley's considerable talents simultaneously contradicted these stereotypes. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)

Genre(s): Poetry

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 Preface/To the Reader Elizabeth Klett
00:04:55
Play 02 Poems 1-10 Elizabeth Klett
00:20:41
Play 03 Poems 11-14 Elizabeth Klett
00:25:05
Play 04 Poems 15-22 Elizabeth Klett
00:17:13
Play 05 Poems 23-33 Elizabeth Klett
00:34:10
Play 06 Poems 34-38 Elizabeth Klett
00:10:03