Talk:Phillis Wheatley
I do not accept the claim that the slave was a "prominent" author. "Piddling" is a better word.TooPotato 02:49, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
That's obviously open to interpretation, but I wholeheartedly disagree with you. She was praised by the likes of Voltaire, and many others with similar credibility. There have also been copies of her poetic works found in the libraries of quite a few British Romantic poets. If you look closely at some of her lines, a lot of her ideas seem to be strikingly similar if not nearly the same.
TooPotato, I for one would like to understand where you are coming from. Why do you refer to Wheatley as "the slave?" You know her name. And what do you mean by "piddling?" Please help me understand here. --Pinko1977 00:18, 23 January 2006 (UTC)
- New International Encyclopedia states that she was purchased by John Wheatley of Boston, which means that she was a possession. (She could not have been both a possession and an American). Although the Wheatley family was broken up in 1775, Phyllis Wheatley never qualified as an American. I don.t know what "African American literature" is because none of the books in the libraries of the United States were written by colored people. Experts on poetry at New International Encyclopedia placed this sentence into their encyclopedia: "Of real poetic ability she was destitute." 141.151.142.187 14:23, 26 January 2006 (UTC)
Racism
Racism and prejudice is not tolerated in modern society. Please judge Phillis Wheatley’s work based on its talent, not the color of her skin. Additionally, she was not a slave all her life and is an important figure in African American literature. I like her work and think she was a brilliant person.
--Arthus 
22:44, 9 March 2006 (UTC)
tsk tsk
"(She could not have been both a possession and an American)."
Phillis Wheatley was manumitted by 1773, and she lived as a freed person for the last 11 years of her life. In my opinion she is an American to be proud of.
Correction Needed
Contrary to the first sentence, Wheatley was not the first African American woman to publish poetry in the United States. As another Wikipedia article recognizes, that was Lucy Terry. The introduction needs rewriting. Jlockard 08:12, 21 August 2006 (UTC)