Phillis Wheatley A Rationalist

Author Phillis wheatly who is considered one of the great American authors, she wrote during the rationalist period. Particularly, in her works title to the university of Cambridge, in new-England we can see evidence of the characteristics, themes and styles identified with the rationalist movement which was extant in American letters between 1750 and 1800. As a representative of such a movement, Phillis Wheatly then remains one of the most identifiable and iconic writers of her time.
Phillis Wheatly was born in Senegal Gambia in about 1753. At the age of 8, she was kidnapped and was brought to Boston on a slave ship. When she arrived in America, john Wheatley bought her as a gift for his wife, Susanna. When she arrived at the house, Wheatly
(as it was a custom at the time for the slave to take the last name of the owner) was taken under Susanna’s wing.
Susanna and her two children taught Wheatley to read and was encouraged by everyone in the house to read. Wheatley received lessons in theology, English, Latin, Greek, Ancient history, mythology and literature. As a result of them teaching Wheatly, she soon mastered Greek, going on to write very well-known and acclaimed poetry. She published her poem in 1767 and her first volume of verse, poems on various subjects based on religion and moral dilemmas. In 1773 after going to Boston, Wheatley’s life changed significantly. Although she was ultimately freed from slavery, she was crushed to find out the deaths of Susanna and john. In 1778, Wheatley married a free African American from Boston, john peters, whom she had three children with, unfortunately all of them died early in life. Ultimately, Wheatley was forced to find work as a
maid in a boarding house and lived in very horrendous conditions. Wheatley did continue to write, however, the growing tensions with the British and the Americans eventually led to the revolutionary war, after which she was discouraged to write more poems. It did not stop her from trying although while she contacted various publishers, she was unsuccessful in finding support for a second volume of poetry. Phillis Wheatley died in her early 30’s in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 5, 1784.
Phillis Wheatly wrote during the rationalist period. This literary movement is characterized by: The focused on reason and logic instead of religion, superstition or customs as it was back in the puritanism time. Although it focused more on logic and reason instead of religion they still believed in a god believing that he had created everything and he made them to work but we can discover these truths and how they work by logic and reason. “Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done.”-Isaac Newton. They mainly used political pamphlets, travel writing, and highly ornate persuasive writing, and where meant for an audience and where known for their use of powerful persuasive rhetoric on a crowd.
Particularly in her work titled “A letter to the University of Cambridge, in New-England”, we can see these characteristics.
For example it is a letter to a university not for one person only but for as a group, along with the fact that it was trying to reach out to people trying to persuade them. Another example “Still more, ye sons of science ye receive The blissful news by messengers from heaven, How Jesus blood for your redemption flows. See him with hands out-stretch upon the cross; Immense compassion in his bosom glows; He hears revilers, nor resents their scorn” it’s stating that she encourages them to implement god into their works, it is not stating that god should be the reason but to instead find out how everything is with god in mind. There is also a part of the letter that is considered a travel writing “WHILE an intrinsic ardor prompts to write, The muses promise to assist my pen; 'Twas not long since I left my native shore The land of errors, and Egyptain gloom: Father of mercy, 'twas thy gracious hand Brought me in safety from those dark abodes.” She speaks about her time in Africa and again mentioning how god had helped her escape from
Africa.