Question

What was phillis wheatley purpose, audience, and style

Answer 1

i will give a medal.

Answer 2

Purpose: 'A poet's motivations are always challenging. One can argue that a driving purpose of Wheatley's work and life was to transform what is into what can be. Being an African slave, she defied the conventions of what is and demonstrated that literacy can be the doorway to the greatest of voices. In highlighting what can be, she wrote in Classical Elegiac style. Purchasing her own freedom, she wrote in ardent support of the American Revolution, a moment in time that identified what is and moved it into the domain of what can be. Finally, in speaking out about the American institution of slavery, she articulated a vision of national identity that was divergent from the Status Quo. These transformative notions could have served as the basis for her poetry.'

Audience is completely subjective to her individual poems. Hopefully someone may be willing to add a generalized commentary on her style.


Her style can be classified as elegiac poetry drawn from Greek and Latin poetry. This was precipitated by her African American backgroup where Women in an African-American tribal group often practiced oration. This was coupled by Wheatley’s education in Latin influenced her to write in a short epic style.

In addition to her general style, she utilizes a range of literary techniques such as metaphor, simile, alliteration, symbolism etc.
For example For example Wheatley's applied biblical symbolism evangelizes and comments on slavery. "On Being Brought from Africa to America," the best-known Wheatley poem, she chides the Great Awakening audience to remember that Africans must be included in the Christian stream:

Answer 3

thanks so much.