To the University of Cambridge, in New England by Phillis Wheatley
"To the University of Cambridge, in New England" by Phillis Wheatley is a poignant poem that addresses the students of Harvard College, highlighting the stark contrast between her background as an enslaved African and their privileged educational experience. Wheatley opens with reflections on her recent arrival from Africa, which she describes as a "land of errors," and emphasizes the importance of the knowledge they possess. The poem serves as a moral exhortation, urging the students to recognize that true wisdom transcends academic achievement, centering instead on the Christian principle of redemption through Jesus Christ.
Wheatley's writing intertwines themes of race, spirituality, and morality, as she calls on her peers to renounce sin in all its forms. Her perspective as an enslaved woman offers a unique lens on the consequences of sin, potentially critiquing the institution of slavery itself. Through her powerful imagery and heartfelt appeal, she serves not only as a witness to divine mercy but also as a reminder that every individual, regardless of status, has a role to play in the moral fabric of society. The poem encapsulates an urgent message about vigilance against wrongdoing, urging her audience to reflect on their actions and their implications for humanity.
To the University of Cambridge, in New England by Phillis Wheatley
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1773 (collected in Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, 1773)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
In the ringing tones of a sermon, the slave poet draws a clear distinction between the backgrounds of herself and the Harvard College students she addresses. Wheatley opens with a statement about how recently she was brought from Africa, “land of errors.” In contrast, the students have had the benefit and privilege of studying the world’s best wisdom. Calling them “sons of science,” the poet reminds them, however, that the most important knowledge they will ever have is that Jesus died to redeem them and all other sinners. She exhorts them to be ever vigilant against evil and to shun sin in its smallest manifestations.
The two major notes that Wheatley strikes repeatedly in the poem are her race and the urgency of renouncing sin. A devout Christian, she does more than serve as witness to God’s mercy and humans’ need for salvation. She testifies to the power and glory of the merciful God who brought her safely from a dark place; it is possible that she is referring to Africa, but she may well be referring to the dark slave ship that transported her to America where, though well treated, she is still enslaved. Again she draws attention to her race and servitude by reminding the students that an “Ethiop” (African) is warning them that sin leads to ruin and damnation. By implication, she seems to be leading them to the conclusion that enslaving fellow humans is one such deadly sin.
Bibliography
Bassard, Katherine Clay. Spiritual Interrogations: Culture, Gender, and Community in Early African American Women’s Writing. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1999.
Carretta, Vincent, and Philip Gould, eds. Genius in Bondage: Literature of the Early Black Atlantic. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2001.
Lasky, Kathryn. A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2003.
Renfro, G. Herbert. Life and Works of Phillis Wheatley. The Black Heritage Library Collection. Plainview, N.Y.: Books for Libraries Press, 1970.
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Shields, John C. “The American Epic Writ Large: The Example of Phillis Wheatley.” In The American Aeneas:Classical Origins of the American Self. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2001.