On Being Brought From Africa To America Summary

Words: 211
Pages: 1

“On Being Brought from Africa to America” was written in the 1700’s so the author is writing in the vernacular of her time indicating that as a negro brought from Africa to America, she was in fact a slave. In line one, the italics of the word “Pagan” could be ironic as she is sarcastically saying where she came from was a land of uneducated, godless heathen fools. In the second line, Wheatley seems to be saying that it is a good thing that she was brought to America from her motherland because it helped her find God. The speaker feels like "mercy" is responsible for enlightening her soul. Just like her soul was "benighted" in Africa before she was saved by God's mercy, in line five and six, she's referencing her race. She acknowledges racism