Phillis Wheatley

When I read the writings in the course packet, I couldn't understand the poems at all. Therefore, firstly, I investigated about the author, Wheatley and I read her other poems. That made me more comfortable to understand her poems. Phillis Wheatley was born in Senegal in about 1753. She was captured by slave traders and brought to America in 1761. Purchased by John Wheatley, a tailor from Boston, Phillis was taught to read by one of Wheatley's …

…in one of her poems. Phillis Wheatley defied all expectations of her class, race, and gender to become an internationally celebrated poet. She wrote herself from the obscurity of slavery into the annals of the American literary scene. Even though she later died in near obscurity, the words she wove in her lifetime immortalize her memory. Today, her works continue to generate interest from scholars and to inspire the student of life's struggles and achievements.