Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral

Phillis Wheatley

Jan 1887 · W.H. Lawrence

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Phillis wheatley was the first African-American woman poet and is one the most famous Africans on the earth. Her work is highly looked upon today, as it marks the beginning of the genre of African-American literature. Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral features 39 of Wheatley’s poems and is what brought her fame. Her poetry expressed Christian themes, and many poems were dedicated to famous figures. The majority of her poems were based on religious, and abstract topics. Phillis did not write about her experiences with slavery, except for one poem, she wrote “Slavery was a cruel fate”. She also believed heavily in the power of poetry. The Hierophantic solar worship is what she brought with her from Africa; this is the worship of sun gods. Allusions to the sun god and to the goddess of the morn, always appear in Wheatley’s writing.