Reading: Phillis Wheatley's 'On Virtue'

Authors

Files

Description

Sheila Hassell Hughes, professor of English, reads a selection from "On Virtue" by Phillis Wheatley from the book Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, for which a commentary by Hughes is also available.

Comments

Phillis Wheatley’s was the first published book to have been written by an African American. Bought in Boston as a slave around 1760, seven-year-old Wheatley showed interest in writing, and her owners determined to educate her.In 1773, while in England with her owner’s son, Wheatley met the Countess of Huntingdon, who offered to sponsor the publication of her poems in London. Upon challenge of the author’s authenticity, eighteen prominent men—John Hancock among them—signed a document of corroboration.

Critical evaluations have been mixed; from a modern viewpoint, Wheatley’s writing can appear eager to please white readers at the expense of racial pride. As a slave, however, her literary choices were constrained. That Wheatley even wrote—and had the temerity to engage in literary conversation with established greats—remains remarkable.

Permission Statement

This item and all others in the Imprints and Impressions collection are licensed for research, educational and private use. Proper attribution must be used when downloading or reproducing this content. If you wish to use the materials for other purposes, please contact University of Dayton Libraries to obtain permission: 937-229-4221.