twas mercy brought me from my pagan land meaning

Despite the hardships endured and the terrible injustices suffered there is a dignified approach to the situation. Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, Instead of beginning with a condemnation of slavery she calls it “mercy brought me from my Pagan land” (Wheatley, “On Being Brought from Africa to America”, line 1). The Poem 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' is only eight lines long. Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train. It's short enough that we can read the entire text here: Twas mercy brought me from my 'Pagan' land, Heroic couplets were used, especially in the eighteenth century when Phillis Wheatley was writing, for verse which was serious and ‘weighty’: heroic couplets were so named because they were used in verse translations of classical epic poems by Homer and Virgil, i.e., the serious and grand works of great literature. All in all a neat package of a poem that is memorable and serves a purpose. That God saved her from her sufferings of being a slave in Africa and she has a renewed energy and hope for what’s in future, for when she comes to America. Enter your email address to subscribe to this site and receive notifications of new posts by email. She is writing in the eighteenth century, the great century of the Enlightenment, after all. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, Indeed, she even met George Washington, and wrote him a poem. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." Alliteration occurs with diabolic dye and there is an allusion to the old testament character Cain, son of Adam and Eve. The young Phillis Wheatley was a bright and apt pupil, and was taught to read and write. Twas mer / cy brought / me from / my Pag / an land, Taught my / be night / ed soul / to und / er stand Poetic devices are thin on the ground in this short poem but note the thread of silent consonants brought/Taught/benighted/sought and the hard consonants scornful/diabolic/black/th'angelic which bring texture and contrast to the sound. In the first line of the poem, she says, “Twas mercy brought me from my pagan land” (Jamison 408). It has a steady rhythm, the classic iambic pentameter of five beats per line giving it a traditional pace when reading: Twas mer / cy brought / me from / my Pag / an land, Taught my / benight / ed soul / to und / erstand. On Being Brought From Africa to America is an unusual poem because it was written by a black woman who was a slave back in the days when black people could be bought and sold at will by white owners. The speaker makes a claim, an observation, implying that black people are seen as no better than animals - a sable - to be treated as merchandise and nothing more. "[3] Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train. ‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. show: definitions & notes only words. ‘Die’, of course, is ‘dye’, or colour. Whilst there is no mention of the physical voyage or abduction or emotional stress, the experience came about through the compassion of God. May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train. Even at the young age of thirteen, she was writing religious verse. 10 of the Best Poems by African-American Poets – Interesting Literature. Being made a slave is one thing, but having white Christians call black a diabolic dye, suggesting that black people are black because they're evil, is something else entirely. But Wheatley concludes ‘On Being Brought from Africa to America’ by declaring that Africans can be ‘refin’d’ and welcomed by God, joining the ‘angelic train’ of people who will join God in heaven. White people are given a lesson in basic Christian ethics. God punished him with the fugitive and vagabond and yieldless crop curse. The use of the word “me” infers that the speaker is expressing their own experience, it also suggests (not definitely) that the speaker is the poet, Wheatley herself. Poetic devices are thin on the ground in this short poem but note the thread of silent consonants brought/Taught/benighted/sought and the hard consonants scornful/diabolic/black/th'angelic which bring texture and contrast to the sound. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, pagan. Some view our sable[2] race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die. The speaker begins by declaring that it was a blessing, a free act of God's compassion that brought her out of Africa, a pagan land.This appreciative attitude is a humble acknowledgement of the virtues of a Christian country like America. relating to a polytheistic, pre-Christian religion. Wheatley had been taken from Africa (probably Senegal, though we cannot be sure) to America as a young girl, and sold into slavery. Let’s take a closer look at ‘On Being Brought from Africa to America’, line by line: ’Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land. Taught MY be-NIGHT-ed SOUL to UN-der-STAND. The word ‘diabolic’ means ‘devilish’, or ‘of the Devil’, continuing the Christian theme. 5 Some view our sable race with scornful eye, 6 "Their colour is a diabolic die." Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." ‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land , benighted. "Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train. That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too: 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Wheatley casts her origins in Africa as non-Christian (‘Pagan’ is a capacious term which was historically used to refer to anyone or anything not strictly part of the Christian church), and – perhaps controversially to modern readers – she states that it was ‘mercy’ or kindness that brought her from Africa to America. May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train. It is if she is grateful that she was taken from her home in Africa and brought to America. Some view our sable race with scornful eye. On Being Brought From Africa to America "Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Before we analyse ‘On Being Brought from Africa to America’, though, here’s the text of the poem. On Being Brought from Africa to America 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. However, her book of poems was published in London, after she had travelled across the Atlantic to England, where she received patronage from a wealthy countess. 'TWAS mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither fought nor knew, Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." During her time with the Wheatley family Phillis showed a keen talent for learning and was soon proficient in English. She learned both English and Latin. 'TWAS mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew, Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Savior too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.”. She took the surname of this man, as was the tradition, but her first name came from the slave ship The Phillis, which brought her to America. Additionally, " Saviour " refers to God and/or Jesus, and since God was already mentioned, we could also venture into a double meaning and interpret that Wheatley's referring to Jesus, a guy who suffered but still ended up rising from the dead to be God's right-hand man (a.k.a. The first line of Bradstreet's poem: If ever two were one, then surely we. in list order from A to Z from Z to A from easy to hard from hard to easy. Andrew has a keen interest in all aspects of poetry and writes extensively on the subject. Remember, Christians, Negro's, black as Cain, May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train. On Being Brought from Africa to America. ‘Their colour is a diabolic die.’ Surviving the long and challenging voyage depended on luck and for some, divine providence or intervention. The line also exhibits her … Cain - son of Adam and Eve, who murdered his brother Abel through jealousy. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,Taught my benighted soul to understandThat there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.Some view our sable race with scornful eye,"Their colour is a diabolic die. The first line states her journey to America, “Twas mercy brought me from my pagan land” (1). 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. 7 Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, 8 May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train. was saved). Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, And so forth. something for which to be thankful. Taught my benighted soul to understand Because Wheatley stands at the beginning of a long tradition of African-American poetry, we thought we’d offer some words of analysis of one of her shortest poems. At the age of 14 she published her first poem in a local newspaper and went on to publish books and pamphlets. The speaker takes the high moral ground and is not bitter or resentful - rather the voice is calm and grateful. In it was the poem that is now taught in schools and colleges all over the world, a fitting tribute to the first ever black female poet in America. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, “Their colour is a diabolic die.” Remember, Christians, Negro’s, black as Cain, lacking enlightenment or knowledge or culture. In the short poem ‘On Being Brought from Africa to America’, Phillis Wheatley reminds her (white) readers that although she is black, everyone – regardless of skin colour – can be ‘refined’ and join the choirs of the godly. Wheatley was fortunate to receive the education she did, when so many African slaves fared far worse, but she also clearly had a nature aptitude for writing. All the end-rhymes are full, for example: land/understand...Cain/train. © 2021 Maven Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. 1 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, 2 Taught my benighted soul to understand. This line explains how that the grace of God helped her future be brighter. Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, / Taught my benighted soul to understand / That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: / Once I redemption neither sought nor knew Interesting Literature is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.co.uk. mercy. By Phillis Wheatley. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The poem opens with the line “‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land”. On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land… Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. 3 That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: 4 Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. The word ‘sable’ is a heraldic word being ‘black’: a reference to Wheatley’s skin colour, of course. On being brought from Africa to America. ― Phillis Wheatley, Poems of Phillis Wheatley. Line 5 does represent a shift in the mood/tone of the poem. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic dye." In using heroic couplets for ‘On Being Brought from Africa to America’, Wheatley was drawing upon this established English tradition, but also, by extension, lending a seriousness to her story – and her moral message – which she hoped her white English readers would heed. (For example, see On Being Brought from Africa to America: “’Twas mercy brought me from my pagan land / Taught my benighted soul to understand / ….Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, / May be refined, and join the angelic train.”) She sees her new life as, in part, a deliverance into the hands of God, who will now save her soul. Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. What is a pagan land? But here it is interesting how Wheatley turns the focus from her own views of herself and her origins to others’ views: specifically, Western Europeans, and Europeans in the New World, who viewed African people as ‘inferior’ to white Europeans. She was freed shortly after the publication of her poems, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, a volume which bore a preface signed by a number of influential American men, including John Hancock, famous signatory of the Declaration of Independence just three years later. Eventually, this development leads to the element of change. Remember, Christians, Negro's, black as Cain, May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train However, she avoided the act of brainwashing and remained educated of the fact that everyone was created equally The 5 iambs here are: If ^e-, ver ^two, were ^one, then ^sure, -ly ^we. “Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." The speaker has learned of God, become enlightened, is aware of the life of Christ on Earth and is now saved, having previously no knowledge or need of the redemption of the soul. ‘On Being Brought from Africa to America’ is a poem by Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753-84), who was the first African-American woman to publish a book of poetry: Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral appeared in 1773 when she was probably still in her early twenties. The first four lines concentrate on the retrospective experience of the speaker - having gained knowledge of the new religion, Christianity, she can now say that she is a believer, a convert. A single stanza of eight lines, with full rhyme and classic iambic pentameter beat, it basically says that black people can become Christian believers and in this respect are just the same as everyone else. Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted[1] soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. The fur is highly valued). Quote by Phillis Wheatley: “Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taug...”. This is obviously difficult for us to countenance as modern readers, since Wheatley was forcibly taken and sold into slavery; and it is worth recalling that Wheatley’s poems were probably published, in part, because they weren’t critical of the slave trade, but upheld what was still mainstream view at the time. There is no mention of forgiveness or of wrongdoing. In the first line of Wheatley's poem she says “Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land", here she is implying that she was forced into slavery and bought. A strong reminder in line 7 is aimed at those who see themselves as God-fearing - Christians - and is a thinly veiled manifesto, somewhat ironic, declaring that all people are equal in the eyes of God, capable of joining the angelic host. His poems are published online and in print. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, “Their colour is a diabolic die.” Remember, Christians, Negro’s, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train. Through mercy, the speaker was taken from the "Pagan" land and taught that there's a God who can save her. Within these lines, she admits that she was once a pagan, but God removed her of this sin and lead her to the path of redemption. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, The 5 iambs in this line are: 'Twas ^mer-, cy ^brought, me ^from, my ^Pa, -gan ^land, And so forth. Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, On Being Brought From Africa to America is eight lines long, a single stanza, four rhyming couplets formed into a block. That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. As Michael Schmidt notes in his wonderful The Lives Of The Poets, at the age of seventeen she had her first poem published: an elegy on the death of an evangelical minister. And with this powerful statement introduces the idea that prejudice, bigotry and racism towards black people is wrong and anti-Christian. Phillis Wheatley was abducted from her home in Africa at the age of 7 in 1753 and taken by ship to America, where she ended up as the property of one John Wheatley, of Boston. Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, May be refined and join the angelic train. 'Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! We can see this metre and rhyme scheme from looking at the first two lines: ’Twas MER-cy BROUGHT me FROM my PA-gan LAND,

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