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Phillis Wheatley poem analysis
Wheatley was an African-American born in west Africa. She was transported to North America after she was sold into slavery to the Wheatley family in Boston. She was famous in England and American colonies after the publication in London of her poems on various subjects, religious and moral. Shortly after she publicized the book, her master died. She met and married John Peters who was a free black grocer. They lived in a poor condition with their there’s children and they all died due to poverty.
Parents are a blessing to each child. Mothers offer life to a child and raise him or her to the desired morals. Parenting is important to the growth of children. The Wheatley family acknowledged Phillis as their daughter and she was kept away from other servants and taught religion having been a pagan. She built her faith from the teachings. His husband abandoned her and their three children and thus she had to raise their children on her own. It was hard for her considering the poor conditions they were living in. Mothers instill self-esteem in children. They provide care to their children by feeding them and also clothing them.
Fathers are also important to the child’s development. They are viewed as a security to the family and thus children feel secured when around them. They are an example to the child’s future life, especially in his or her relationships. They are providers to the family. Parents are important in the development of a child since they provide a positive social behavior, cognitive, emotional and social development. The parents teaches values to their children, give directions, imporses rules and disciplines their children. The father and mother should work in hand in raising their children both physically, socially and psychologically. For example, Susanna was their to provide an environment for Phillis to grow and instilled moral value to her.
Honoree Jeffers filled in the gap left by Odell, a white woman who sketched the biological life of Phillis Wheatley. She argued that, the enslavement of Phillis helped her in her life. She portrays Susana, the foster mother to Phillis, as a christian who saved Phillis life. She described John Peters as a black man whose intention was to seduce Phillis and later abandon her leaving their family with nothing. However, Jeffers viewed the love between Phillis and Peters differently.
Honoree Jeffers reimage the life of Wheatley before she was enslaved and her relation with the Wheatley family. she figured the enslavement of Wheatley was a blessing to her. Even though she was separated from her birth mother, Susanna who was her enslaved mother thought of her as her daughter. She taught her Christianity. She impacted her morals on how to raise her children and her family. Despite been left by her husband, she stayed strong and raised her children well. Wheatley was treated differently from other servants and that indicated the love her foster parents had towards her. Phillis had a hard time adapting to the new culture and social class since she was raised in two different families.
Jeffers recovers the love letters of peter and Wheatley. Jeffrers was writing second volume poems of Wheatley’s life which was never published. For instance, the letter that peter tried to get the volume printed, shows that they had been in love despite the abandonment. This was after the death of peters where Jeffers tried to figure how their love was. “I think it is logical to assume that many, many black folks fell in love with many, many other black folks.” This was a statement in Jeffers’s writers. maybe the living status of the Wheatley family made pater abandon his family since he had accumulated many debts. America Antiquarin society inducted Jeffers into their organization because the work on Phillis Wheatley. Due to the recognition of Wheatley’s work, Jeffers was elected at AAS and this election enabled her writing of the Age of Phillis which was among the best poerty. Jeffers continued to portray the work of Wheatley which even made her famous.
In conclusion, Wheatley’s poem reflects our today’s society. We should recognize others and appreciate them. Family either by blood or parenting, it’s important in everyone’s life. Parents should not discriminate their children. They should treat them equally since it boosts their self-esteem.
References
Jeffers, Honorée Fanonne. “The Subjective Briar Patch: Contemporary American Poetry.” The Virginia Quarterly Review 88.2 (2012): 97-106.
Rowell, Charles H., and Honoree Fanonne Jeffers. “” Speaking from a Creolized Environment”: An Interview with Honoree Fanonne Jeffers.” Callaloo 27.4 (2004): 976-988.
