To S. M., A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works
O show the lab’ring bosom’s deep intent, And thought in living characters to paint, When first thy pencil did those […]
Author: Phillis Wheatley
An Hymn To Humanity (To S. P. G. Esp)
O! for this dark terrestrial ball Forsakes his azure-paved hall A prince of heav’nly birth! Divine Humanity behold, What wonders […]
To a Lady and Her Children
O’erwhelming sorrow now demands my song: From death the overwhelming sorrow sprung. What flowing tears? What hearts with grief opprest? […]
An Answer To The Rebus, By The Author Of These Poems
The poet asks, and Phillis can’t refuse To show th’ obedience of the Infant muse. She knows the Quail of […]
To A Clergyman On The Death Of His Lady
WHERE contemplation finds her sacred spring, Where heav’nly music makes the arches ring, Where virtue reigns unsully’d and divine, Where […]
Isaiah LXIII
Say, heav’nly muse, what king or mighty God, That moves sublime from Idumea’s road? In Bosrah’s dies, with martial glories […]
To His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor
All-Conquering Death! by thy resistless pow’r, Hope’s tow’ring plumage falls to rise no more! Of scenes terrestrial how the glories […]
To a Lady on Her Remarkable Preservation
Though thou did’st hear the tempest from afar, And felt’st the horrors of the wat’ry war, To me unknown, yet […]
A Funeral Poem on the Death of C. E
Through airy roads he wings his instant flight To purer regions of celestial light; Enlarg’d he sees unnumber’d systems roll, […]
Ode To Neptune
On Mrs. W -‘s Voyage to England. I. WHILE raging tempests shake the shore, While AElus’ thunders round us roar, […]
An Hymn To The Morning
ATTEND my lays, ye ever honour’d nine, Assist my labours, and my strains refine; In smoothest numbers pour the notes […]
A Rebus, By I. B
I. A BIRD delicious to the taste, On which an army once did feast, Sent by an hand unseen; A […]
To a Gentleman and Lady on the Death of the Lady’s Brother and Sister
On Death’s domain intent I fix my eyes, Where human nature in vast ruin lies, With pensive mind I search […]
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 […]
On Virtue
O Thou bright jewel in my aim I strive To comprehend thee. Thine own words declare Wisdom is higher than […]
To The University Of Cambridge, In New-England
WHILE an intrinsic ardor prompts to write, The muses promise to assist my pen; ‘Twas not long since I left […]
To a Lady on Her Coming to North-America
Indulgent muse! my grov’ling mind inspire, And fill my bosom with celestial fire. See from Jamaica’s fervid shore she moves, […]
Goliath Of Gath
SAMUEL, Chap. xvii. YE martial pow’rs, and all ye tuneful nine, Inspire my song, and aid my high design. The […]
To The King’s Most Excellent Majesty
YOUR subjects hope, dread Sire The crown upon your brows may flourish long, And that your arm may in your […]
To The Right Honourable William, Earl Of Dartmouth, His Majesty’s Principal Secretary Of The State For North-America
HAIL, happy day, when, smiling like the morn, Fair Freedom rose New-England to adorn: The northern clime beneath her genial […]
On Recollection
MNEME begin. Inspire, ye sacred nine, Your vent’rous Afric in her great design. Mneme, immortal pow’r, I trace thy spring: […]
On the Death of the Rev. Dr. Sewell
Ere yet the morn its lovely blushes spread, See Sewell number’d with the happy dead. Hail, holy man, arriv’d th’ […]
To Mæcenas
Mæcenas, you, beneath the myrtle shade, Read o’er what poets sung, and shepherds play’d. What felt those poets but you […]
On Imagination
Thy various works, imperial queen, we see, How bright their forms! how deck’d with pomp by thee! Thy wond’rous acts […]
One 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 […]
On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years Of Age
FROM dark abodes to fair etherial light Th’ enraptur’d innocent has wing’d her flight; On the kind bosom of eternal […]
On The Death Of Rev. Mr. George Whitefield
HAIL, happy saint, on thine immortal throne, Possest of glory, life, and bliss unknown; We hear no more the music […]
On the Death of a Young Gentleman
Who taught thee conflict with the pow’rs of night, To vanquish satan in the fields of light? Who strung thy […]
A Farewel To America to Mrs. S. W
I. ADIEU, New-England’s smiling meads, Adieu, the flow’ry plain: I leave thine op’ning charms, O spring, And tempt the roaring […]
To The Honourable T. H. Esq; On the Death Of His Daughter
WHILE deep you mourn beneath the cypress-shade The hand of Death, and your dear daughter Laid In dust, whose absence […]