Phillis Wheatley by Yidiayah

Phillis Wheatley by Yidiayah - September 2021 Scholarship Essay

During the Fall 2021 semester I took a course about poetry. Throughout the course we explored influential writers not limited by their geographic location. One of the first writers of her kind, Phillis Wheatley, became the topic of one of our sessions. Phillis Wheatley, a once enslaved woman and later a renowned African American poet wrote “ To S.M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Work”.

As a class we read the poem line by line and began a short conversation. I was in awe of the biblical references in the poem that were as present as her notes about the city Salem Massachusetts. I made notes on the poem the night before while preparing for class the next day. After comments about her choice of style and the historical call backs the professor began to move on.

I felt there was more to be said about the poem. Because Phillis Wheatley was black and this was written during a time in America where enslavement of both people of color and groups of white people was common,I felt that race should be discussed alongside her poem.

I raised my hand to follow up with the professor's analysis of the poem asking for a deeper dive into lines that were relevant to her race. The professor felt there was no more to be said and I mentioned the various lines references the bible and christian faith. The professor encouraged me to share my thoughts on Phillis Wheatley’s poem in which the class joined in as we discussed the poem further.

While the professor was supportive of me taking the lead I had to challenge my professor to further discuss the poem as it relates to Phillis Wheatley’s race and the biblical references used in her poem.

I learned to trust my studies and what I feel is relevant to a group discussion and analysis.