The Uncovering of African American Literary Value

Throughout history, African Americans were constantly seen as being ignorant and illiterate. Their works of literature were barely recognized and if one was, it was harshly criticized. Most writers and poets were forced to publish under white names, or conform to what the white society wants them to say. Phillis Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America”, and Francis Ellen Watkins Harper’s “Bible Defense of Slavery” come to prove that no, not all African Americans were illiterate or ignorant; many were actually extremely talented, well rounded and educated. Their works prove that skin isn’t a determining factor in whether a person is worthy of respect or not. They reassert that everyone should be treated the same and given the same opportunities, regardless of their race, spiritual beliefs, or background.

Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America” is a poem conveying pain, projecting how even though slavery brought African’s the gift of Christianity and literary enlightenment, they couldn’t help but feel the racist hatred and resentment of White Americans during the the 18th and 19th century. Wheatley asserts that Christianity was a blessing for Africans, being able to teach their “benighted soul to understand” (2). This line describes how not all bad came from something as cruel as slavery. The tone used in the first four lines show no hostility or hate towards slavery or those who enslave, but shows peace with one’s self and gratitude for being able to be knowledgeable. When we reach the next four lines, the tone changes while Wheatley tries to project the African American’s grievances, showing the injustice of treatment that the whites showed the enslaved.  

African Americans were judged by their color, having White Americans believe that they are dark skinned because of something evil inside of them. ““Their colour is a diabolic die”” (6), proves that African Americans would never get the respect they deserve from the whites even though they agree with their ideas and beliefs. This is shown in Joyce A. Joyce’s “The Black Canon: Reconstructing Black American Literary Criticism” where she writes:

…for the problem is that no matter how the Black man merges into American mainstream society, he or she looks at himself from an individualistic perspective that enables him or her to accept elitist American values and thus widen the chasm between his or her worldview and that of those masses of Black whose lives are still stifled by oppressive environmental, intellectual phenomena. (339)

No matter how much African Americans proved that they were human too, they are still deemed unworthy just because of their skin color. For Christianity was a blessing, but it only enabled the Africans to grow up and raise their children having specific beliefs and being literate, but definitely didn’t give them any credit or privileges in society. 

Wheatley’s poem uses true Rhymes, and Iambic Pentameter. This widens her range of audience because her sophisticated style attracted white men and forced them to understand and respect her message. Wheatley’s style enabled her to demonstrate her poetic talent and deliver her message as close as she can to the way White Americans liked to read their poetry. A successful method,  this enabled Wheatley to express how she’s feeling and prove that African Americans weren’t inferior, illiterate, or religiously ignorant.

Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America” proves that although some African Americans were able to get an education, while the majority was illiterate, they were still subject to whites, unable to protect themselves. This is also shown in Francis Ellen Watkins Harper’s “Bible Defense of Slavery”, a political poem portraying that African American’s belief in God and the Bible still didn’t provide them with the protection they needed. Not because the Bible didn’t care about any person of color, but because its message was misinterpreted by greedy and hateful men in order to justify their immoral prejudice towards anyone who isn’t white. “A ”reverend” man, whose light should be/ the guide of age and youth” (13-14). Men with religious authority weren’t doing their job of enlightening people and spreading love and equality, but are manipulating the words of the Bible to make a group of people feel inferior to others, causing African American’s to feel as  secondary citizens in a white society. Harper’s language use in the poem proves how knowledgeable many Africans were, by using the language of the Bible, which many of the white men understand, trying to get his message through. His style is an attempt to reach his white audience and appeal to their emotions, expressing his grievances and addressing the injustice African Americans faced while being enslaved.

Harper uses pathos to appeal to White American’s emotions by using personification and tone. “Let sorrow breathe in every tone” (9) portrays the dejection and despair felt by African Americans. The comparison of sorrow to a human proves that the way they are being treated is causing them extreme heartache and is making them feel worthless and inferior. Also, Harper’s tone is distressed, asserting that they are desperate to gain equality and be recognized in society and not be secondary citizens.

Harper and Wheatley were able to convey the injustice African Americans were facing and how their works weren’t given any justice. Even though White American’s treated them as illiterate, they were still able to publish works that weigh so much and make up a high part of American history. They uncovered the African American literary value and proved that color isn’t what determines whether or not a person is worthy of respect.

Works Cited

1. Wheatley, Phillis. “On Being Brought From Africa to America.” Gleeditions, 17 Apr.  2011.  Originally published in Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley, Geo. W. Light, 1834, p. 42. 
2. Harper, Frances. “Bible Defense of Slavery.” 1854 Poems on Miscellaneous Subjects.
3. Joyce, Joyce. “The Black Canon: Reconstructing the Black American Literary Criticism” Source: New Literary History, Vol. 18, No. 2, Literacy, Popular Culture, and the Writing of History (Winter,1987), pp. 335-344. Published by: The John Hopkins University Press

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