On Being Brought From Africa To America Analysis
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Guatavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself (1789)
This is a first person autobiography narration about how the author, who was of African descent, is confined to slavery. His account about his life on the ship is very traumatic and distressing as the masters flogged the slaves severely, mentally and emotionally tortured the slaves, and some were nearly suffocated as they were not even permitted to stay on the deck to breathe in fresh air. The author felt like dying would be better than living his life as a slave. Finally, he writes about how he became his own master, becoming a freeman from being a slave – which in fact was the happiest day of his life.
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” - Phillis Wheatley …show more content…
The common theme would be slavery and the poet is an African American woman and have also experienced slavery. From the title itself, it is clear that the poet was shipped from Africa to America as a slave and probably must have undergone similar circumstances of torture in the ship, just like Olaudah Equiano.
"The Negro's Complaint" - William Cowper
This poem explores the theme of slavery from a slave’s angle about it. From the title, the complaint would be slavery – which is the common element in the two poems and the narrative. It is clear that the poet wants to grab attention of the audience about how it is wrong to slave trade and the masters of the slaves are doing is contradictory to God’s teaching. The poet, Cowper is an English poet and he is pointing out that slavery is wrong on so many levels and writes “Minds can never be
This is a first person autobiography narration about how the author, who was of African descent, is confined to slavery. His account about his life on the ship is very traumatic and distressing as the masters flogged the slaves severely, mentally and emotionally tortured the slaves, and some were nearly suffocated as they were not even permitted to stay on the deck to breathe in fresh air. The author felt like dying would be better than living his life as a slave. Finally, he writes about how he became his own master, becoming a freeman from being a slave – which in fact was the happiest day of his life.
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” - Phillis Wheatley …show more content…
The common theme would be slavery and the poet is an African American woman and have also experienced slavery. From the title itself, it is clear that the poet was shipped from Africa to America as a slave and probably must have undergone similar circumstances of torture in the ship, just like Olaudah Equiano.
"The Negro's Complaint" - William Cowper
This poem explores the theme of slavery from a slave’s angle about it. From the title, the complaint would be slavery – which is the common element in the two poems and the narrative. It is clear that the poet wants to grab attention of the audience about how it is wrong to slave trade and the masters of the slaves are doing is contradictory to God’s teaching. The poet, Cowper is an English poet and he is pointing out that slavery is wrong on so many levels and writes “Minds can never be