Poem Analysis:
Phillis Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America” is a short but powerful poem that explores religion, slavery, race, and human equality. Although Wheatley describes her journey from Africa to America as an act of “mercy,” the poem contains a deeper and more complex message. She uses Christian ideas to challenge the racial prejudice of the society in which she lived.
The poem begins with the speaker saying, “’Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land.” On the surface, these words suggest that Wheatley sees her movement from Africa to America positively because it introduced her to Christianity. She says that she was taught about God and the “Saviour,” suggesting that Christianity gave her a new spiritual understanding. However, this statement can also be read critically. Wheatley was forcibly taken from Africa and enslaved, so describing this experience as “mercy” creates an important tension between religious language and the harsh reality of slavery.
The central theme of the poem is racial prejudice. Wheatley refers to people who “view our sable race with scornful eye” and describes the racist belief that Black people have a “diabolic die.” The word “sable” emphasizes the speaker’s Black identity, while “diabolic” reflects the false association between dark skin and evil. Wheatley exposes this prejudice rather than accepting it as truth.
The final couplet delivers the poem’s strongest message: “Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, / May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train.” Here, Wheatley directly addresses Christians and reminds them that Black people are equally capable of spiritual salvation. The reference to Cain is significant because Cain is traditionally associated with sin and punishment. By saying that Black people may nevertheless “join th’ angelic train,” Wheatley challenges the idea that race determines a person’s moral or spiritual worth.
Wheatley’s use of Christian language is therefore strategic. Instead of rejecting the religious beliefs of her audience, she uses those beliefs to expose the contradiction between Christianity and racism. If all human beings can receive salvation, then racial prejudice has no legitimate spiritual basis.
“On Being Brought from Africa to America” is more than a poem about Wheatley’s conversion to Christianity. It is also a subtle criticism of racial discrimination and a statement about the spiritual equality of Black people. Through irony, religious imagery, and direct address, Wheatley challenges her Christian readers to recognize the humanity and dignity of those whom society regarded as inferior.