Poems »

Phillis Wheatley was both the second published African-American poet and first published African-American woman. Born in Senegambia, she was sold into slavery at the age of 7 and transported to North America. She was purchased by the Wheatley family of Boston, who taught her to read and write, and encouraged her poetry when they saw her talent. The publication of her Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral brought her fame both in England and the American colonies; figures such as George Washington praised her work. During Wheatley's visit to England with her master's son, the African-American poet Jupiter Hammon praised her work in his own poem. Wheatley was emancipated after the death of her master John Wheatley. She married soon after. Two of her children died as infants. After her husband was imprisoned for debt in 1784, Wheatley fell into poverty and died of illness, quickly followed by the death of her surviving infant son.

Update this biography »
Complete biography of Phillis Wheatley »

FAVORITE (0 fans)

List of poems by Phillis Wheatley 42 total

Sort:PopularA - Z
One Being Brought From Africa To America
 448 ViewsRate it
On Being Brought from Africa to America
 309 ViewsRate it
On Virtue
 230 ViewsRate it
His Excellency General Washington
 201 ViewsRate it
To A Gentleman And Lady On The Death Of The Lady's Brother And Sister, And A Child Of The Name Of Avis, Aged One Year
 193 ViewsRate it
An Hymn To The Morning 175 ViewsRate it
To a Lady and Her Children
 167 ViewsRate it
To S. M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works
 162 ViewsRate it
An Hymn To The Evening
 157 ViewsRate it
On Imagination
 151 ViewsRate it
A Funeral Poem On The Death Of C. E. An Infant Of Twelve Months
 144 ViewsRate it
Ode To Neptune
 125 ViewsRate it
To the University of Cambridge
 125 ViewsRate it
An Hymn to Humanity
 124 ViewsRate it
On The Death Of Dr. Samuel Marshall
 122 ViewsRate it
To A Lady On The Death Of Her Husband
 116 ViewsRate it
To The King's Most Excellent Majesty 1768
 116 ViewsRate it
An Answer To The Rebus, By The Author Of These Poems
 110 ViewsRate it
To The Rev. Dr. Thomas Amory, On Reading His Sermons On Daily Devotion, In Which that Duty Is Recommended And Assisted
 110 ViewsRate it
Niobe In Distress For Her Children Slain By Apollo, From Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book VI. And From A View Of The Painting Of Mr. Richard Wilson
 104 ViewsRate it
To A Lady On Her Coming To North-America With Her Son, For The Recovery Of Her Health
 101 ViewsRate it
On The Death Of A Youn Gentleman
 98 ViewsRate it
A Farewel To America to Mrs. S. W.
 97 ViewsRate it
To a Lady on the Death of Three Relations
 95 ViewsRate it
Thoughts On The Works Of Providence
 88 ViewsRate it
Isaiah LXIII
 87 ViewsRate it
On The Death Of Rev. Mr. George Whitefield
 84 ViewsRate it
To A Lady On Her Remarkable Preservation In A Hurrican In North-Carolina
 84 ViewsRate it
To The Right Honourable William, Earl Of Dartmouth, His Majesty's Principal Secretary Of The State For North-America,
 83 ViewsRate it
A Rebus
 80 ViewsRate it
To A Gentleman On His Voyage To Great-Britain For The Recovery Of His Health
 78 ViewsRate it
To the Rt. Hon. William, Earl of Dartmouth
 76 ViewsRate it
On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years Of Age
 67 ViewsRate it
On the Death of J.C. an Infant
 65 ViewsRate it
Goliath Of Gath
 60 ViewsRate it
To The Honourable T. H. Esq; On the Death Of His Daughter
 59 ViewsRate it
To Captain H------D, Of The 65th Regiment
 53 ViewsRate it
To Maecenas
 52 ViewsRate it
On Recollection
 49 ViewsRate it
To A Clergyman On The Death Of His Lady
 35 ViewsRate it
To His Honour The Lieutenant-Governor, On The Death Of His Lady Marc 24, 1773
 34 ViewsRate it
On the Death of the Rev. Dr. Sewell, 1769
 30 ViewsRate it

Share your thoughts on Phillis Wheatley's poems with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poet to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Phillis Wheatley" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. Web. 26 Jul 2021. <https://www.poetry.com/poet/Phillis+Wheatley>.

    Powered by CITE.ME Cite.Me

    Missing a poem of Phillis Wheatley?

    Know another great poem from Phillis Wheatley? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Our awesome collection of

    Promoted Poems

    »

    Browse Poetry.com

    #ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem "There Will Come Soft Rain"?
    • A. Rainer Maria Rilke
    • B. Percy Bysshe Shelley
    • C. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
    • D. Sara Teasdale