Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)
— An Hymn to the Morning (1773) Phillis Wheatley’s poems are fresh and timeless. In a strong, clear voice, she speaks to us engagingly across 250 years. An Hymn to the Morning, which she produced in her teens, glows with a young woman’s delight in the beauty around her. It is written in couplets (pairs of rhyming lines) using iambic pentameter (five da-DUMs: “for-BRIGHT au-RO ra-NOW de-MANDS my-SONG”)." (Wheatley’s) allusions to the sun god and to the goddess of the morn, always appearing as they do here in close association with her quest for poetic inspiration, are of central importance to her.” (John C. Shields) ATTEND my lays, ye ever honour'd nine, (Inspire my songs, you nine muses) Assist my labours, and my strains refine; In smoothest numbers pour the notes along, For bright Aurora now demands my song. (Aurora: the dawn) Aurora hail, and all the thousand dies, (the thousand: the night stars) Which deck thy progress through the vaulted skies: (deck: embellish) The morn awakes, and wide extends her rays, On ev'ry leaf the gentle zephyr plays; Harmonious lays the feather'd race resume, (birds awaken and resume their songs) Dart the bright eye, and shake the painted plume. (darting their eyes and ruffling their feathers) Ye shady groves, your verdant gloom display (show your greenery and rich shadows) To shield your poet from the burning day: Calliope awake the sacred lyre, (Calliope: Greek muse of heroic poetry) While thy fair sisters fan the pleasing fire: (fan the morning sun’s pleasant fire) The bow'rs, the gales, the variegated skies (the gardens, breezes, sunrise colors) In all their pleasures in my bosom rise. (fill me with delight) See in the east th' illustrious king of day! His rising radiance drives the shades away (The sun rises to full power) But Oh! I feel his fervid beams too strong, And scarce begun, concludes th' abortive song. (It’s too hot! Morning is over. I quit!)
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Margaret Walker was a child genius. In her first published poem—at age 15—she fully anticipated and expressed her lifelong literary mission. I want to write the songs of my people. It was this poem's bright music that attracted me to her.
I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. |