Enlightenment
• Phillis Wheatley, “To S.M., a Young African Painter, on Seeing his Works.” 1773 (poem)

Requirements:

* Record your initial reaction to the work (suggested length of 1 paragraph or half a page) by doing the following:
1. Describe your initial thoughts and/or feelings about the work.
2. Describe in detail at least one aspect of the work that most interests you.

A. In this poem, Ms. Wheatley conveys that an artist’s pencil transfers words to life. Imagination is very dynamic, it allows the poet to go above their limits, to the mark where circumspection vanishes. Wheatley then depicts the writer's and craftsman's will as "flame," which helps them to keep on composing verses or paint sketches. She then proceeds with "However when these shades of time are chas'd away, and haziness closes in everlasting day," (Wheatley, 1753) which I think she implies that when this time of bigotry has passed, the dimness (difficult times) closes and rather comes endless light (great times).
Analyze the work (suggested length of 2–4 pages) by doing the following:
1. Describe the historical context of the period in which the work was written.
2. Discuss insights into the work that can be gained from the author’s biography.
3. Analyze how this work explores a particular theme and/or stylistic characteristic from its period.
4. Explain the relevance of this work for today’s audiences.

B1. This poem was written during the pre-Revolutionary War period. At this time, the world was going through many changes. This was the time when Gotthold Lessing’s “Emilia Calotti” premiered in Brunswick. This was also when a theater in Amsterdam was destroyed by a fire and killed 18 people. In England, the Somerset v Stewart case found slavery unsupported by English common law and encouraged the abolitionist movement. (Jordan, 2015) The first naval attack of the Revolutionary War took place at Rhode Island. These were troubled times, but also times of great change.

B2. Ms. Wheatley was born on May 8, 1753, in Africa. She traveled to New England in 1761. John Wheatley of Boston bought Phillis as a present for his wife. In spite of the fact that they brought Wheatley into the family unit as a servant, the Wheatleys held an incredible enthusiasm for Phillis' education. Numerous biographers have indicated her giftedness; Wheatley figured out how to analyze and compose English by the age of nine, and she was comfortable with Latin, Greek, the Bible, and selected works of art at a young age. (Jordan, 2015) She started composing verses at thirteen, basing her work on the English poet’s of the time, especially John Milton, Thomas Gray, and Alexander Pope. (Jordan, 2015) Her lyric "On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield" was distributed as a bombardment in urban communities, for example, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, and accumulated Wheatley nationwide praise. (Jordan, 2015) This ballad was additionally imprinted in London. Throughout the following couple of generations, Wheatley would imprint various works featuring English and frontier pioneers.

B3. To S.M., A Young African Painter is a lyric that addresses issues of religion, craftsmanship, and flexibility in an extremely striking manner. The ballad is Wheatley's reaction to seeing works of art made by the African painter, Scipio Moorhead. In this content, Wheatley made an exceptionally contemplative tone with the use of profound representations. Wheatley passes on to Moorhead that their creative abilities offer them a method for opportunity, paying little respect to their "oppressed" who remained on earth. (Word, n.d.) To Wheatley, making workmanship is seen as a type of treatment. Wheatley addresses the topic of everlasting life through aesthetic creation. This conviction is very old and is a typical theme tended to by numerous poets. Wheatley expresses that in spite of the fact that they won't live perpetually, their masterful works will live on forever. (Word, n.d.) Fundamentally, she trusts that a craftsman's memory will live on through the works that they deliver.

B4. It appears Wheatley composes for a Christian congregation, however, her poems use literary techniques that make the audience move from understanding and certainty to vulnerability and disarray. It is clear that she was shaped by a Puritan religious philosophy and she utilizes her poems to speak to the people. It can likewise be noticed that she holds dear numerous standards originating from the Enlightenment, for example, a longing for an opportunity and uniformity, which is apparent through her incongruity and mockery. Wheatley expounds on how the painter motivates her and she lauds his work. Wheatley utilizes symbolism and depictions to clarify why it moves her. This sonnet delineates that the formation of craftsmanship can bring otherworldly satisfaction and also religion.
C. Discuss how the deeper knowledge you gained through your analysis has informed or altered your thoughts and/or feelings about the work (suggested length of 1 paragraph or half a page).

This ballad takes a gander at craftsmanship, the result of an imaginative process, as a kind of everlasting life. In spite of the fact that religion still assumes a part in this ballad, the formation of workmanship and the fulfillment of aesthetic achievement is blended with the dialect of profound satisfaction. This topic was not new, by any methods. Artists have contemplated the power of art for as long as there have been artists. This ballad permits the reader a look into Wheatley's state of mind toward her own craft, propelled by her yearning for paradise, and also an aching for flexibility on earth. Her group of onlookers is individuals that have an education. She utilizes some huge words and she additionally references the book of scriptures. She has likewise composed with a great deal of feeling to show how much she enjoyed the artwork. You can be sure that she is keeping in touch with a man that she appreciates. She writes in a manner that demonstrates that she has incredible admiration for the artist and his work of art.

Reference List:

Jordan. (2015). Phillis Wheatley: The poetry foundation. Retrieved March 8, 2016, from Poetry Foundation, http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/phillis-wheatley

MindEdge, Inc. (2014). Introduction to the humanities. Waltham, MA: MindEdge, Inc.

Wheatley, P. (1753). To S. M., A Young African painter, on seeing his works. Retrieved March 4, 2016, from https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/s-m-young-african-painter-seeing-his-works

Word, L. To S.M., A Young African painter on seeing his works. Retrieved March 8, 2016, from Africans and African Americans in Early Modern Poem, http://luckiword.weebly.com/to-sm-a-young-african-painter-on-seeing-his-works.html