Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-10
Phyllis Wheatley Slave Poetess

became inmortalized by the genius OF
doubt that the African girl really wrote
the poems, Mr.. Wheatley had some OF
the most distinguished people in New
England vouch for that fact.
In one of the preliminary pages OF
her book, his excellency, the Governor,
Thomas Hutchinson; the Lieutenant
Governor and John Hancock, the first
signer of the Declaration of Independ-
ence, together with is others. affixed
their names to the following statement:
we whose names are underwritten do
assure the world that the poems speci-
fed in the following pages were Gas we
verify believe) written by Phyllis, O
young Negro girl who was but few
years since brought, an uncultivated
barbarian. from Africa and has ever
since been, and now Is. under the dis
advantage of serving as slave in
family in this town. She has been ex-
anlined by the best judges and is
thought qualified to write them"
When Phyllis was Is she married
man OF her own race, and seems there
after to have been very unhappy, in
deed. The estimates placed upon the
ability and character Of this husband
seem about as contradictory and varied
as they could well be. According to
some, he was "a Negro who kept a
shop, wore a wig. carried a cane and
felt himself superior to all kinds Of la
bor." Others claim that he was q gro
Gerry keeper, baker journeyman and a
man Of all Jobs
A T some time in his life there is EVIL
dence that he was lawyer, and
at another time in his career he tried
his hand at medicine. John Peters Is
also depicted as "a man who not only
bore a good character but was a very
remarkable specimen Of his race, being
nuent writer. a ready speaker and an
mteingent man." Under the title of
DR.. Peters" We are told, she pleaded
the. cause of his brethren, the Africans,
befpre the tribunals of State"
-, Rut whatever doubt may exist about
the. ability and character of Phyllis
husband, 1t IS certain that he lost all
ms property during the Revolution. was
imprisoned for debt and was unable 10
support his family. The unfortunate
wife lived only five years after her
marriage, and during those years she
drank deeply from the cup Of sorrow.
Practically every member of the
Wheatley family had passed away.
Not only had her husband lost every
thing which he possessed, but she had
SOLD all her precious books trying to
pay his debts. Her three children were
frau little things who were almost con-
tinuously Ill. Phyllis was probably too
shy and sensitive to turn to her friends
Tor help. She was working in IN ordi-
nary boarding house when she died in
her thirty-first year, December 5, 1894,
penniless and alone.
In estimating the value Of PHYLLIS
poems 1t Is necessary and Just to con-
slider the period In which they were
written and to compare them with 9TH
ers which appeared at the same time.
Phyllis Wheatley wrote before the dawn
OF the American Revolution, and her
poems were published three years be-
fore the Declaration of Independence
was signed. At that time very few
colonists engaged In literary work, and
those who wrote poetry simply initiated
the English bards. In the Colonies at
that time there was no original litera-
ture at all. The best American poets
were mere imitators and echoes OF the
English classicists. It Is also a fact
that the young slave girl was one of
four Industrious women who had dis
tinguished themselves before the Re-
public OF the United States of America
was born.
In considering the life and achieve
ments OF Phyllis Wheatley one must
remember that the conditions under
which she wrote were such as have
confronted woman of no other race |
who has distinguished herself as a poet |
Although the family with whom Phyl- !
lis lived treated her kindly, recognized /,
her ability, taught her to read and |
write and afforded her considerable OPP
portunity to develop her talent, the |
fact remains that she was a bondwoman /
and was obliged to perform the duties |
usually assigned to slave. In all lit |
erature 1t would be difficult to find a |
more pathetic picture Of talent yoked |
to drudgery than that which the little |
slave poet conjures before our eyes.
She was a full-blooded African, so |
that her talent and attachments can
not be attributed to the mixture of |
Caucasian or any other blood In her |
veins. II any other human being, |
black, white, yellow or brown, has ever |
made such marvellous intellectual prog
ress and achieved such literary success
in such short time under similar cir
as Phyllis Wheatley did, the
records Of history 90 not show II.