The Poems of Phillis Wheatley (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Excerpt from Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral

The following poems were written originally for the amusement of the author, as they were the pro ducts of her leisure moments. She had no Intention ever to have published them; nor would they now have made their appearance, but at the importunity of many of her best, and most generous friends, to Whom she considers herself as under the greatest obligations.

AS her attempts in poetry are now sent into the world, it is hoped the critic will not severely censure their defects; and we presume they have too much merit, to be cast aside with contempt, as worthless and trifling effusions.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Poems of Phillis Wheatley

Our purpose in republishing this little book of poems, a century and a quarter after the death of the author, is to acquaint the present generation more thoroughly with her remarkable genius. She was born in Africa, and at the age of eight years was brought to America and sold into slavery to a Mrs. John Wheatley in Boston. Within a year of her arrival she could read and write English, of which she was previously in entire ignorance. She also acquired a knowledge of the classics, and developed a pleasing poetic style. Before she was twenty her writings had attracted the attention of many literary people of England, and in 1773 a volume of her poems was published in London. Since then there have been many editions published; one in 1784 in Boston, another in Albany, 1793; another in 1802, another in 1805, another 1816. Memoirs and Poems of Phillis Wheatley in 1834, 1835 and 1838. Her poems constituted the second volume of Abbie Joseph La Valle's book, "The Negro Equalled by few Europeans," in 1801. Besides these, many separate poems have been published, perhaps the earliest being in memory of George Whiteneld, printed in 1770. Many of her poems were not published. She wrote a poem to George Washington, which the general highly complimented, but which he was too modest to publish.

Phillis Wheatley was married to a Mr. Peters, in Boston, but died soon after in 1784, at about the age of thirty-one years. Her. poems were written and published before her marriage, and she was known as Phillis Wheatley rather than Phillis W. Peters.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.