Analysis of To S. M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works
Phillis Wheatley 1753 (West Africa) – 1784 (Boston)
TO show the lab'ring bosom's deep intent,
And thought in living characters to paint,
When first thy pencil did those beauties give,
And breathing figures learnt from thee to live,
How did those prospects give my soul delight,
A new creation rushing on my sight?
Still, wond'rous youth! each noble path pursue,
On deathless glories fix thine ardent view:
Still may the painter's and the poet's fire
To aid thy pencil, and thy verse conspire!
And may the charms of each seraphic theme
Conduct thy footsteps to immortal fame!
High to the blissful wonders of the skies
Elate thy soul, and raise thy wishful eyes.
Thrice happy, when exalted to survey
That splendid city, crown'd with endless day,
Whose twice six gates on radiant hinges ring:
Celestial Salem blooms in endless spring.
Calm and serene thy moments glide along,
And may the muse inspire each future song!
Still, with the sweets of contemplation bless'd,
May peace with balmy wings your soul invest!
But when these shades of time are chas'd away,
And darkness ends in everlasting day,
On what seraphic pinions shall we move,
And view the landscapes in the realms above?
There shall thy tongue in heav'nly murmurs flow,
And there my muse with heav'nly transport glow:
No more to tell of Damon's tender sighs,
Or rising radiance of Aurora's eyes,
For nobler themes demand a nobler strain,
And purer language on th' ethereal plain.
Cease, gentle muse! the solemn gloom of night
Now seals the fair creation from my sight.
Scheme | ABCDEEFFGGHIJJKKLLMMNNKKOPQQJJRREE |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 110111101 0101010011 1111011101 0101011111 1111011101 0101010111 111110101 111011101 11010001010 11110011010 01011111 011110101 1101010101 0111011101 1101010101 1101011101 11111100101 0101010101 1001110101 0101011101 110110101 1111011101 1111111101 010100101 1111111 010100101 111101101 011111011 1111110101 110100111 1101010101 0101011101001 1101010111 1101010111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,452 |
Words | 254 |
Sentences | 13 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 34 |
Lines Amount | 34 |
Letters per line (avg) | 35 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 1,173 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 252 |
Font size:
Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 14, 2023
- 1:19 min read
- 236 Views
Citation
Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"To S. M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/29391/to-s.-m.-a-young-african-painter%2C-on-seeing-his-works>.
Discuss this Phillis Wheatley poem analysis with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In