The Denver star., 1915-12-18
FIRST Female POET OF THE :
COLORED RACE IN AMERICA
PhilIis WhsatIsy Was Glover Writer
Of Verso Over Century Ago.
Bx JOHN E. BRUCE GRIT .

BY JOHN E. BRUCE "CRIT.~
Yonkers. N. Y.-Not so many of our
PEOPLE are familiar with the wonder
fll intellectual powers Of Phillis Wheat
ley, the slave girl of Massachusetts,,
whose poems attracted international
attention nearly century and a half
ago. as should be.
Her poems and letters include many
verses which do not appear In the 1913
edition. together with collection Of
her letters, charmingly phrased. ad-
dressed to different friends of hers Oh
various topics. OF this edition only
ninety five copies have been printed,
and the plates destroyed. Each of the
three volumes is adorned with hand
some steel engraving of Phillis and is
printed on Alexander Japan paper \
photography of her writings by Charles
with her writings and her history up to
the period OF her death.
Many pages Of her unpublished
poems are reproduced In facsimile, and
many Of her fragmentary poems which
had appeared in the newspapers and
magazines of the day are here for the
tirst time published in one volume. Her
poem to Washington Is printed In full.
together with Washington's letter to
her acknowledging its receipt and his
thanks to lone so favored by the
muses." etc. In this poem occurs a
stanza which. it would seem, entities
her to be called the first to proclaim
him the Father of His Country-"frst
in, nf, hos
ed and used by others. but Phillis con
ceived it. These are the lines:
Thee first in place and honors: we de-
mand
The grace and glory of thy martial band.
But Phillis Wheatley. while she en-
joyed the distinction and. worthiIy SO,
of being the first poetess OF North
America and the only woman of any
race on this continent SO recognized
and acknowledged. had Il friendly ri
val and admirer in the person OF Jupi-
ter Harmon. n Negro belonging to Jo-
seph Lloyd Of Queens. village OF Long
Island, who. on behalf of himself and
Il number of his friends, presented her
with an address, poem of twenty one
verses. Of which the following excerpts
therefrom will give the reader n pretty
clear idea of what was back of the
Negroes mind in those days Hammop
was n full grown man. and his frag
mentary verses have never been col
lected. This poem appeared in one Of
the continental papers Of the period
and was published at Hartford. Conn,
Aug. 4, 1773. Note the salutation Of
the gallant poet:
Miss Phillis, pray give leave To ex
press as follows:
Oh come. you pious youth. ado.,
The wisdom of thy God
In bringing thee from distant sho-.
To learn his holy word.
-Ecciesiast,,s XII,
Thou mightst been left behind
Amidst dark abode:
Gods tender mercy still combined.
Thou hast the holy word
Psalm cNxxv.
Fair wisdon's ways are paths OF peace.
And they that walk therein
Shall reap the joys that never cease.
And Christ shall be their king,
Psalm /. IL; Proverbs iii, !.
Each verse of this interesting poem
of Hammon is Scriptural reference
showing that he was man well versed
in the Bible and understood how to
apply its teachings. The warmth and
fervor of the address also show that.
unlike some modern poets and authors.
he wasn't jealous OF Phillis' popularity
as Il pOetess. The third volume Of this
rare collection OF Wheatleyana Is
broadside Of many pages, containing
in facsimile the title pages of every
edition Of Phillis' poems published iu
America and elsewhere, some forty
five or more in all, which is strong
proof Of her popularity as writer of
clever verse during the Revolutionary
period
The Negro race owes much to Charles
Frederick Hartmann. who has not
brought out these books to ma Ike mon
~. but primarily to establish the fact.
which American writer's have been
loat! to admit. that black woman of
ihe Revolutionary period was the only
and greatest poetess America had pre-