On Being Brought from Africa to America Analysis

Heroic Couplets in Iambic PentameterWe mentioned it earlier, but we'll give you the lowdown now. "On Being Brought" is written in heroic couplets. They were the in-thing for all the poets back in W...

The speaker of "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is probably a woman, although we never know either way. We can never assume the speaker is the same person as the poet, but since the title...

The title gives it all away: the poem takes place in America, right? It also tells us what setting we've left behind. The speaker references her homeland (Africa), but we know she left. As for the...

Remember playing on monkey bars during recess? Swinging back and forth while using your hands to grab hold of the next metal bar to keep you from falling? How each of the bars was evenly spaced apa...

As a title, "On Being Brought from Africa to America" is about as straightforward as you can get. This poem must be about the speaker's thoughts about being brought as a slave from Africa (West Afr...

Neo-classicismWheatley knew her stuff, and her stuff was rooted in the poetic tradition of Latin and Greek. She imitated the Neo-classic style of poetry, which often used heroic couplets. "On Being...

(4) Base CampThis is a short climb—eight lines—and the landscape rhymes. Alright, enough of that, but this short poem packs a lot of beauty and technical skill that may need you to slow down an...

Not only did Phillis Wheatley write amazing, super-awesome-to-the-max poems, but she was the first African-American to publish a book. Check it out here. (Source.) Don't like your name? Phillis Whe...

G Not only was this poem written in the late 1700s, when super-sexy poetry wouldn't fly with editors or the public, but the author of this poem is a converted Christian and the title of her first c...

Biblical References: Cain (7)