Phillis Wheatley
Wheatley’s Literary Advance
The famous poet, Phillis Wheatley, uses many different figures of speech within her poem, “To His Excellency, General Washington.” She believed that the Americans were fighting a just cause and that she should support the patriots even if it meant giving up her freedom. She sent praise to General Washington encouraging him to go to war and her use of literary devices may have been what persuaded him to lead the fight for his nation’s freedom. Her use of personification, symbolism, metonymy, metaphor, and charged words amplify her purpose to write the poem, which is to praise General George Washington and set forth America as a strong, resilient nation. Wheatley uses the personification of nature and biblical sources to create an aura of heavenly guidance in favor of America. This helped emphasize the fact that America had God on their side and that Britain should retreat quickly due to America refluent desire for freedom. "Freedom's cause" is the central theme of the poem, including the struggle of the colonists to be free from England, even if it meant going to war against the more powerful
British
. The author uses personification to convey her message throughout the poem, that message being that America should be feared and that Washington is a magnificent general who will protect and emancipate the colonies from Britain. For example, in paragraph one, Wheatley states that “nations gaze at scenes before unknown!” The phrase “nations gaze” is a form of personification which refers to the nations watching the war unfold before them.The world hopes to see America be the victor. This statement would also be a form of metonymy, by replacing the reserved people with nations. In lines 14, Wheatley introduces Columbia, the goddess of liberty a personification of America. In lines 2934, Wheatley cites the French and Indian War as proof
of what Columbia’s fury can do as a warning
The famous poet, Phillis Wheatley, uses many different figures of speech within her poem, “To His Excellency, General Washington.” She believed that the Americans were fighting a just cause and that she should support the patriots even if it meant giving up her freedom. She sent praise to General Washington encouraging him to go to war and her use of literary devices may have been what persuaded him to lead the fight for his nation’s freedom. Her use of personification, symbolism, metonymy, metaphor, and charged words amplify her purpose to write the poem, which is to praise General George Washington and set forth America as a strong, resilient nation. Wheatley uses the personification of nature and biblical sources to create an aura of heavenly guidance in favor of America. This helped emphasize the fact that America had God on their side and that Britain should retreat quickly due to America refluent desire for freedom. "Freedom's cause" is the central theme of the poem, including the struggle of the colonists to be free from England, even if it meant going to war against the more powerful
British
. The author uses personification to convey her message throughout the poem, that message being that America should be feared and that Washington is a magnificent general who will protect and emancipate the colonies from Britain. For example, in paragraph one, Wheatley states that “nations gaze at scenes before unknown!” The phrase “nations gaze” is a form of personification which refers to the nations watching the war unfold before them.The world hopes to see America be the victor. This statement would also be a form of metonymy, by replacing the reserved people with nations. In lines 14, Wheatley introduces Columbia, the goddess of liberty a personification of America. In lines 2934, Wheatley cites the French and Indian War as proof
of what Columbia’s fury can do as a warning