1 jan 1773 ano - Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)

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African American poets by Phillis Wheatley 1753-84
Her poets are the first volume of poetry known to have been published by an African American. According to Gray (2011) her poetry reflects the neo-classical norms of the time. It also sometimes paints a less than flattering picture of Africa, the land from which Wheatley was snatched when she was still a child. Specifically, Phillis Wheatley enjoyed the cooperation and patronage of Susanne Wheatley, the woman who bought her in a Boston slave market when she was seven years old, and the Countess of Huntingdon. It was with their help that her Poems appeared in 1773 in London, the first volume of poetry known to have been published by an African American.
On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley (1773)

Twas not long since I left my native shore
The land of errors, and Egyptian gloom:
Father of mercy, twas thy gracious hand
Brought me in safety from those dark abodes
How my bosom burns!
And pleasing Gambia on my soul returns
With native grace in springs luxurious reign
Smiles the gay mead, and Eden blooms again
Africas blissful plain
The various bower, the tuneful flowing stream,
the soil spontaneous that yields exhaustless sores, the soft retreats,
the verdant shores and bending harvest ripening into gold:
May well begin by suggesting that it was mercy that brought her benighted soul from Africa to experience redemption in the New World. Remember Christians, Negros, black as Cain, / May be refined and join the ’angelic train. That conclusion is perfect example of how Wheatley could develop consciousness of self into an exploration of the black community, its experiences and its potential. It is also an illustration of how she could strike a pose, for herself and others of Africa sable race, that both deferred to white patrons and audience and subtly made a claim for dignity, even equality- that, in short, combined Christian humility with a kind of racial ride (Gray, 2011).
References:
Gray, R. (2011). A history of American literature. John Wiley & Sons.

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