On Being Brought From Africa to America

We studied a few of Phyllis Wheatley's (1753-1754)poems today in my class, Race and Ethnicity in America.
It was amazing for her to be so educated because she was
a. young (a poet and fluent in Greek and Latin by age 10)
b. female
c. a Negro slave

Because of the times in which she lived, she had to couch her political agendas, and speak out against slavery by appealing to American's outrage against Britain's tyranny.

this was one we looked at:

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.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
"Their colour is a diabolic die."
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin'd and join th'angelic train.


i know she had a tendency to proselytize; maybe that's what i don't like, but i think it's more that she accepts people, Negros as unrefined until converted...*sigh
and yet my instructor sees it as a poem where the equality of all peoples is lauded. so maybe i'm being reactionary.

from: http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Wheatley/phil.htm

While paging through an old poetry anthology book I own for a former poetry course in college, I came across the preceding poem by Phyllis Wheatley, feeling especially touched. I remembered this thread (thank you for sharing the wonderful work, amuse).
Additionally, on the next page, I found the following poem by Maya Angelou (rich with symbolism) that relates to Wheatley's "On Being Brought from Africa to America."

Africa

Thus she had lain
sugar cane sweet
deserts her hair
golden her feet
mountains her breasts
two Niles her tears
Thus she has lain
Black through the years.

Over the white seas
rime white and cold
brigands ungentled
icicle bold
took her young daughters
sold her strong sons
churched her with Jesus
bled her with guns.
Thus she has lain.

Now she is rising
remember her pain
remember the losses
her screams loud and vain
remember her riches
her history slain
now she is striding
although she had lain.