Phillis Wheatley Essay

The exotic young lady of Africa whose poetry inspired a ca accustom of emancipation and social rightness in a different stain while using the conventional religious view of her heritage. Whose sacred scriptures and symbolism still resonate through and through the world as reminders of a dream of equation and emancipation from monarchic tyranny. This exemplary figure of true patriotism is Phillis Wheatley an African muliebrity innate(p) along the Gambia River in Africa to the Fulani tribe (Shields 473). In dickens of her finest works To his excellence General Washington and shore leave and Peace Phillis Wheatley uses the African usage of solar faith to justify the the Statesn Revolution.Phillis Wheatley was born around 1753 to a Fulani woman who either practiced an ancient tribal body-build of solar worship or was a devout Muslim. Wheatley had only wiz fond memory of her life in Africa and that memory is of her stick performing a religious rite every morning to the sunbathebathe. before the sun at his rising and because prostrating herself in the direction of the risen sun, (Shields 473). The theory that Phillis Wheatleys mother was a Muslim is plausible because the rising sun is in the direction of Mecca. Also, the word of Islam had spread to this part of Africa and the number of Muslims in western Africa was growing during that era period.However, the theory that Phillis Wheatleys mother is Muslim is discredited through the use of sun eachusions in Wheatleys poetry. Her mothers solar worship surely is the source of her exaltation of the sun, which she names in her verses nine generation as Aurora as Apollo, seven as Phoebus, twelve, and as Sol, twice, (Shields). This shows the dear and admiration that Phillis Wheatley had for the sun a love that was instilled in her by her mother when Wheatley was a small child watching her mother praise Apollo.To his excellence General Washington was published in April of 1776 by Phillis Wheatley in capital of Massachusetts Massachusetts. This poem to George Washington commemorates him for his efforts to promote independence. This was the first written work to be published that supported him in his endeavor to free the young bucolic (Williams). In the opening originations of the poem Phillis Wheatley uses a muse, a device of neoclassicism, which exposes the ecstasy for her literary work. The muse of this poem is the celestial choir which can be interpreted as the sun god because in line one she writes, Celestial choir enthrond in realms of light, (CITATION POETRY FOR STUDENTS). Enthrond in realms of light means that light surrounds the celestial choir which must do it from the sun.In lines nine through twelve Wheatley explains a sun goddess that netherworld the the Statesn cause, The Goddess comes, she moves divinely fair/Wherever shines this native of the skies/ Unnumberd charms and new-made graces rise, (CITATION POETRY FOR STUDENTS). This native of the skies shines whe rever she roams she is the female bod of the sun god. . She understands the robustness of the the Statesn cause because she is fair and just that is wherefore she supports America. The goddess shines on America and with this divine light comes unnumbered charms and graces that fall upon the young nation. She helps America by protecting them in the ultimate struggle they have at feed against the British.The theme of the poem is expressed in lines thirty one through thirty two, And so may you, whoever dargons disgrace/ This land of freedoms paradise-defended race, (CITATION POETRY FOR STUDENTS). The theme of this poem is simply freedom freedom for the universal man, woman and child, and that no person should be subject to both form of oppression or tyranny. The cognitive content of freedom is exemplified in these lines because America is beingness defended by the solar goddess. She promotes the continuation of the belief that every man is authorise freedom by birth. Therefor e, these lines show that America is justified by heaven to fight the British. This heavenly protection serves as defense and as a means of dissuading any advances on America. The first line shows the warning to all that may want to pose a threat to America because it is a land of freedom that is divinely protected by the sun goddess. So, these two lines show that America is a land of freedom and that it is defended by the sun goddess against all that transgress against Americas boundaries.After the defeat of the British in the American Revolutionary War and the Treaty of Paris of 1783 was signed, Phillis Wheatley wrote independence and Peace a poem that celebrated the new countries independence (Shields 489-490). The poem was published in 1784 and praised the defeat of Britannia by America, which has just been established as a sovereign state (Doak 86). It was also one of her last renowned works because during that same year she passed away (ONeale). The overall theme and message of the poem is that America is noble and just for fighting for its independence and that she is and allow always be divinely protected. Britain is con nervered a menace and dictator for prop the colonies back for becoming their own separate country (Jamison).In improperness and Peace on line sixty four Phillis Wheatley explains how her ancestral sun god is on the side of America and that it is the reason why America defeated the British. The line reads, And Heavenly Freedom spread her gold Ray, (ONeale). This line shows that the golden ray of heaven impart be spread by heavenly freedom. The golden ray was graced upon America by the female embodiment of the sun god. This ray of freedom will spread to any land where America spreads its sails. America being able to spread its ray of freedom is shown in lines sixty two through sixty three of Liberty and Peace, Where eer Columbia spreads her swelling Sails/ To every kingdom shall Peace her Charms display, (ONeale). This quote illust rates that the golden ray placed upon America by the sun goddess will spread to other lands by heavenly freedom. That any land America encounters will be instilled with the American virtues of peace and freedom.Phillis Wheatley is a true American patriot for the American quest of peace and freedom from the British menace. She uses her ancestral tradition of solar worship to justify the American cause and to support the troops in their enormous endeavor. In To his excellence General Washington Phillis Wheatley illustrates a sun goddess that aides on the side of the Americans during the revolutionary war. Wheatley goes on to further explain that American people are a group of people that are divinely protected because they interpret a spirit of freedom that has never been seen in the world to date.In Liberty and Peace Phillis Wheatley shows that the values and beliefs that are at the core of America are protected by the sun god that is the reason why America was able to triumph over the British. It was able to because it was fighting for freedom and the sun god protects and defends the righteous in all their endeavors. America will also inspire every land she touches to fight for freedom and equality because America is heavenly defended and her virtues are protected by the sun god.It is terminate to see the instances of solar allusions in Phillis Wheatleys work. She uses her mothers theology of solar worship to show the validity of the American cause in the Revolutionary War. Phillis Wheatley supported and whole-heartedly believed in the American Revolution due to the event that in To his Excellency General Washington and Liberty and Peace she uses her tradition of solar worship to support America.