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University of Virginia Library

Poems of Phillis Wheatley

Revised and Enlarged Edition

Wheatley, Phillis (1753-1784)

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Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral

TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, IN NEW-ENGLAND.

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. 1768.

ON BEING BROUGHT FROM AFRICA TO AMERICA.

ON THE DEATH OF THE REV. DR. SEWELL. 1769.

ON THE DEATH OF THE REV. MR. GEORGE WHITEFIELD. 1770.

ON THE DEATH OF A YOUNG LADY OF FIVE YEARS OF AGE.

ON THE DEATH OF A YOUNG GENTLEMAN.

TO A LADY ON THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND.

GOLIATH OF GATH.

THOUGHTS ON THE WORKS OF PROVIDENCE.

TO A LADY ON THE DEATH OF THREE RELATIONS.

TO A CLERGYMAN ON THE DEATH OF HIS LADY.

AN HYMN TO THE MORNING.

AN HYMN TO THE EVENING.

ISAIAH LXIII. 1–8.

ON RECOLLECTION.

ON IMAGINATION.

A FUNERAL POEM ON THE DEATH OF C. E. AN INFANT OF TWELVE MONTHS.

TO CAPTAIN H---D, OF THE 65TH REGIMENT.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM, EARL OF DARTMOUTH, HIS MAJESTY'S PRINCIPAL SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NORTH-AMERICA, &C.

ODE TO NEPTUNE.

TO A LADY ON HER COMING TO NORTH-AMERICA WITH HER SON, FOR THE RECOVERY OF HER HEALTH.

TO A LADY ON HER REMARKABLE PRESERVATION IN AN HURRICANE IN NORTH-CAROLINA.

TO A LADY AND HER CHILDREN, ON THE DEATH OF HER SON AND THEIR BROTHER.

TO A GENTLEMAN AND LADY ON THE DEATH OF THE LADY'S BROTHER AND SISTER, AND A CHILD OF THE NAME AVIS, AGED ONE YEAR.

ON THE DEATH OF DR. SAMUEL MARSHALL. 1771.

TO A GENTLEMAN ON HIS VOYAGE TO GREAT-BRITAIN FOR THE RECOVERY OF HIS HEALTH.

TO THE REV. DR. THOMAS AMORY ON READING HIS SERMONS ON DAILY DEVOTION, IN WHICH THAT DUTY IS RECOMMENDED AND ASSISTED.

ON THE DEATH OF J. C. AN INFANT.

AN HYMN TO HUMANITY.

TO THE HONOURABLE T. H. ESQ; ON THE DEATH OF HIS DAUGHTER.

NIOBE IN DISTRESS FOR HER CHILDREN SLAIN BY APOLLO, FROM OVID'S METAMORPHOSES, BOOK VI. AND FROM A VIEW OF THE PAINTING OF MR. RICHARD WILSON.

TO S. M. A YOUNG AFRICAN PAINTER, ON SEEING HIS WORKS.

TO HIS HONOUR THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR, ON THE DEATH OF HIS LADY. MARCH 24, 1773.

A FAREWEL TO AMERICA.

A REBUS, BY I. B.

AN ANSWER TO THE REBUS, BY THE AUTHOR OF THESE POEMS.

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Other Poems and Variants of Poems

ON MESSRS HUSSEY AND COFFIN.

TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, WROTE IN 1767—

AN ADDRESS TO THE ATHEIST, BY P. WHEATLEY AT THE AGE OF 14 YEARS—1767—

AN ADDRESS TO THE DEIST—1767—

AMERICA

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY ON HIS REPEALING THE AMERICAN STAMP ACT

TO THE HON.ble COMMODORE HOOD ON HIS PARDONING A DESERTER

ON THE DEATH OF THE REV'D DR. SEWALL. 1769.—

ON THE DEATH OF MR SNIDER MURDER'D BY RICHARDSON

AN ELEGIAC POEM, On the DEATH of that celebrated Divine, and eminent Servant of JESUS CHRIST, the late Reverend, and pious GEORGE WHITEFIELD, Chaplain to the Right Honourable the Countess of Huntingdon, &c &c. Who made his Exit from this transitory State, to dwell in the celestial Realms of Bliss, on LORD'S-DAY, 30th of September, 1770, when he was seiz'd with a Fit of the Asthma, at NEWBURY-PORT, near BOSTON, in NEW-ENGLAND. In which is a Condolatory Address to His truly noble Benefactress the worthy and pious Lady HUNTINGDON,—and the Orphan-Children in GEORGIA; who, with many Thousands, are left, by the Death of this great Man, to lament the Loss of a Father, Friend, and Benefactor.

AN ODE OF VERSES On the much-lamented Death of the REV. MR. GEORGE WHITEFIELD, Late Chaplain to the Countess of Huntingdon; Who departed this Life, at Newberry near Boston in New England, on the Thirtieth of September, 1770, in the Fifty-seventh Year of his Age.

To Mrs. LEONARD, on the Death of her HUSBAND.

ON THE DEATH OF DR. SAMUEL MARSHALL

On the Death of Doctor SAMUEL MARSHALL.

To the Rev. Mr. Pitkin, on the DEATH of his LADY.

A POEM ON THE DEATH OF CHARLES ELIOT, AGED 12 MONTHS

TO THE RIGHT HON.l WILLIAM EARL OF DARTMOUTH, HIS MAJESTY'S SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NORTH AMERICA &.c &.c &.c

To the Hon'ble Thomas Hubbard, Esq; On the Death of Mrs. Thankfull Leonard.

FAREWELL TO AMERICA.

An ELEGY, To Miss. Mary Moorhead, on the DEATH of her Father, The Rev. Mr. JOHN MOORHEAD.

[TO A GENTLEMAN OF THE NAVY.]

PHILIS'S Reply to the Answer in our last by the Gentleman in the Navy.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL WASHINGTON.

ON THE CAPTURE OF GENERAL LEE

ON THE DEATH OF GENERAL WOOSTER

AN ELEGY, SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THAT GREAT DIVINE, THE REVEREND AND LEARNED DR. SAMUEL COOPER, Who departed this Life December 29, 1783, ÆTATIS 59.

LIBERTY AND PEACE, A POEM.

An ELEGY on leaving ---.

To Mr. and Mrs. ---, on the Death of their Infant Son,

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125

AMERICA

New England first a wilderness was found
Till for a continent 'twas destin'd round
From feild to feild the savage monsters run
E'r yet Brittania had her work begun
Thy Power, O Liberty, makes strong the weak
And (wond'rous instinct) Ethiopians speak
Sometimes by Simile, a victory's won
A certain lady had an only son
He grew up daily virtuous as he grew
Fearing his Strength which she undoubted knew
She laid some taxes on her darling son
And would have laid another act there on
Amend your manners I'll the task remove
Was said with seeming Sympathy and Love
By many Scourges she his goodness try'd
Untill at length the Best of Infants cry'd
He wept, Brittania turn'd a senseless ear
At last awaken'd by maternal fear
Why weeps americus why weeps my Child
Thus spake Brittania, thus benign and mild
My dear mama said he, shall I repeat—
Then Prostrate fell, at her maternal feet
What ails the rebel, great Brittania Cry'd
Indeed said he, you have no cause to Chide
You see each day my fluent tears my food.
Without regard, what no more English blood?
Has length of time drove from our English viens.
The kindred he to Great Brittania deigns?
Tis thus with thee O Brittain keeping down
New English force, thou fear'st his Tyranny and thou didst frown

126

He weeps afresh to feel this Iron chain
Turn, O Brittania claim thy child again
Riecho Love drive by thy powerful charms
Indolence Slumbering in forgetful arms
See Agenoria diligent imploy's
Her sons, and thus with rapture she replys
Arise my sons with one consent arise
Lest distant continents with vult'ring eyes
Should charge America with Negligence
They praise Industry but no pride commence
To raise their own Profusion, O Brittain See
By this, New England will increase like thee