'Twas Mercy Brought Me

On Being Brought from Africa to America

'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,

Taught my benighted soul to understand

That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:

Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.

Some view our sable race with scornful eye,

"Their colour is a diabolic die."

Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,

May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.

The first four lines of "On Being Brought from Africa to America", by Phillis Wheatley, has vivid imagery attached to the slave trade and the instruction in Christian principles. Unlike many slaves, Wheatley was taught to read and write and was fostered in a Christian home. Her exposure to literature and her growing understanding of this literature enabled her to express thoughts and ideas in beautiful verse. After reading "The Difficult Miracle of Black Poetry in America" and reflecting on Wheatley's biography, I was saddened by her circumstances, especially following the death of the Wheatleys. Had they remained alive during her adult years, I believe that her poetry would have been supported and published. Yet, as she was no longer a member of their household, she was subject to the same fate as other African American slaves.

I found the title of her published work, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, thought-provoking and inspiring. Specific lines from the works included in this anthology resonated with me and I have to admit that I admire her wit and candor. Wheatley's poem, "Thoughts on the Works of Providence," contains some of the most beautiful imagery (Stanza's 1 -3):

ARISE, my soul; on wings enraptured, rise,

To praise the Monarch of the earth and skies,

Whose goodness and beneficence appear,

As round its centre moves the rolling year;

Or when the morning glows with rosy charms,

Or the sun slumbers in the ocean's arms:

Of light divine be a rich portion lent,

To guide my soul and favor my intent.

Celestial Muse, my arduous flight sustain,

And raise my mind to a seraphic strain!

Adored forever be the God unseen,

Which round the sun revolves this vast machine,

Though to his eye its mass a point appears:

Adored the God that whirls surrounding spheres,

Which first ordained that mighty Sol should reign,

The peerless monarch of the etherial train:

Of miles twice forty millions is his height,

And yet his radiance dazzles mortal sight.

So far beneath--from him the extended earth

Vigour derives, and ev'ry flow'ry birth:

Vast through her orb she moves with easy grace

Around her Phoebus in unbounded space;

True to her course, the impetuous storm derides,

Triumphant o'er the winds, and surging tides.

Almighty, in these wondrous works of thine,

What Power, what Wisdom, and what Goodness shine!

And are thy wonders, Lord, by men explored,

And yet creating glory unadored?

Stanza 6 begins with these two lines:

O’er beings infinite His love extends,

His Wisdom rules them, and His Pow’r defends.

Stanza 8 is my favorite, containing some of the most powerful imagery:

But see the sons of vegetation rise,

And spread their leafy banners to the skies,

All-wise Almighty providence we trace

In trees, and plants, and all the flower race;

As clear as in the nobler frame of man,

All lovely copies of the Maker’s plan.

The "frame of man" and "lovely copies" is brilliant. And then her reference to the creation: "Old Chaos heard, and trembled at the sound:" is great imagery.

She had an incredible grasp of the English language and thrived in a time when most like her suffered. I believe she understood her circumstances as compared to other slaves. She also had compassion for those that were not found in circumstances similar to her own. There were a few other African Americans who were educated by their masters. As a result, we have access to their writings. Like Wheatley, they wrote in support of freedom and for these rights to be extended to the African American slave. I feel that Wheatley was the first voice to be heard during a climate that was just beginning to realize the atrocities of slavery.