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The Purpose of Literary Techniques in Poetry
Phillis Wheatley, an African American slave woman in the American colonies during the
18th century, went through some of the most defining parts of history for our country, including
the founding of the United States through the Declaration of Independence and defending
ourselves from British forces trying to take back control of the countries. Wheatley even
witnessed multiple attempts at forming the government of the United States such as the Articles
of Confederation and the US Constitution which still stands in place today. Historical
background from the time period of poets often shapes their writing and Phillis Wheatley wrote
many poems for the purpose of persuading the people of her time to either break away from the
British in “To His Excellency General Washington,” or to allow African Americans a chance in
American society in “On Being Brought from Africa to America”. She wrote her poetry in order
to persuade and she was able to sway the outcome of history with her writings. Phillis
Wheatley’s poems included figurative language, literary techniques, and poetic devices in order
to portray her milieu of having so little that she was better off as a slave. As a slave who still
was able to advance her education and writing, Phillis Wheatley, “will serve as an example of a
slavewoman who, despite her bondage, was very well educated (in reading, writing, and in the
classics) and became a published poet in 1773, thereby marking the ‘birth of the Afro-American
literary tradition’’’(Birkle).
As a slave, Wheatley knew of the fight that all blacks battled to gain their freedom, but
she took a different approach as to the reason why they should have a chance at freedom. Slave
owners and whites in the country often used the argument that blacks were not humans, she
argued that they were so different from the white population it was impossible for them to
assimilate into the civilization. This theory outraged African Americans who were fighting for
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reform but on the contrary, “Wheatley uses a kind of "Darwinian" theory by emphasizing that
under the right circumstances and in the right place, blacks can be redeemed as well and be
considered human beings” (Birkle). Wheatley seemed to agree with slaveholders, but she argued
that blacks could be “refined,” as she says on the last line of “On Being Brought from Africa to
America,” to act more like whites and normal Americans. This attitude angered many in the
black community who wanted full rights granted to them, but they also knew that Wheatley had
also felt the “scornful eye” as she says in her poem and that refining African Americans and
attempting to assimilate could help them avoid some of the wrongdoings (Davis). In order to get
her point across Wheatley also used hyperbole to exaggerate negatively her life before coming to
America. She called her native land “Pagan,” herself “benighted,” and her race “sable,” but says
that her people can catch on and “join the Anglican train.”
In the years leading up to the American Revolution which started in 1775, conditions
started to deteriorate for Americans who felt oppressed by English rule over the colonies and saw
that revolution was necessary. While many Americans did join the cause to free themselves
from England, some remained loyal to the king and did not want to fight. Many slaves also
turned to the British when Lord Dunmore offered freedom to any slave who helped his cause.
Wheatley however, believed that the Americans were fighting a just cause and that she should
support the patriots even if it meant giving up her freedom. She sent praise to General
Washington encouraging him to go to war and her use of literary devices may have been what
persuaded him to lead the fight for his nation’s freedom. Wheatley magnified the greatness of
the country with the use of metonymy in using “Columbia” to speak of America (Line 2), and
then she also used symbolism describing “Columbia” by saying that “Olive and laurel bind her
golden hair” (10). The olive branch is often a sign of peace so Wheatley argued that fighting for
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our freedom would bring peace to America after the war was over (“To His Excellency General
Washington”). Also, to persuade Washington to fight, Wheatley compares the strength of the
American army to “when Eolus heaven’s fair face deforms,” (15) basically saying that America’s
army was as strong as God. Finally, near the end of “To His Excellency General Washington,”
Wheatley uses trope to indirectly threaten Great Britain for attempting to oppress the colonies.
She says in line thirty of “To His Excellency General Washington” that, “When Gallic powers
Columbia’s fury found,” which refers to the American victory over the French in the French and
Indian War as a threat to Britain that if they resist they will have the same fate. Whether or not
the poem influenced Washington, Wheatley’s work “is fascinating and is itself an important part
of the nation's heritage. It does indeed deserve to be studied today because the details about race,
education, and heroism have much to tell about how the country developed to the point at which
it is today” (Kelly).
At a time of segregation, slavery, and the fight for social change as well as equality, the
black community was in need of someone who understood how to use poetry to their advantage.
Wheatley used poetic devices in order to enhance her poetry just as any outstanding poet would.
Her work shows how hyperbole, symbolism, metaphor, simile, and other poetic devices are key
in writing powerful, effective poetry. Her ability to use these aspects of writing even in a time
where she was barely even considered a human being is why she will, “stands out as one of the
important characters in the making of American literature, without any allowances for her sex or
her antecedent” (Collins).
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Works Cited
Birkle, Carmen. "Border Crossings and Identity Creation in Phillis Wheatley's Poetry." Gale
Literature Resource Center. Web. 25 February 2014.
Collins, Terrence. "Phillis Wheatley." Poetry Criticism. Ed. Robyn V. Young. Vol. 3. Detroit,
Michigan: Gale Research Inc., 1991. Print.
Davis, Arthur P. "Phillis Wheatley." Poetry Criticism. Ed. Robyn V. Young. Vol. 3. Detroit,
Michigan: Gale Research Inc., 1991. Print.
Kelly, David, Critical Essay on "To His Excellency General Washington," Poetry for Students,
Vol. 13, The Gale Group, 2001. Reproduced in Literature Resource Center.
"To His Excellency General Washington." Poetry for Students. Ed. Elizabeth Thomason. Vol.
13. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. 211-224. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 27 Feb.
2014.
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