Lecture Review: The Coquette, Phillis Wheatley, and Early American History

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering 'The Coquette,' Phillis Wheatley, and early American historical documents like the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

The Coquette

An epistolary novel exploring themes of marriage, female freedom, and societal hypocrisy.

Epistolary novel

A novel written in the form of a series of letters.

Eliza (The Coquette)

A character in 'The Coquette' who desires freedom without responsibility and is primarily valued for her sexual virtue.

Phillis Wheatley

An African American prodigy who gained access to education and used traditional poetic forms to subtly argue for racial equality and challenge notions about Black intelligence.

Declaration of Independence (D.O.I.)

Authored by Thomas Jefferson at age 33, it articulated natural rights, equality, and the right to rebel, noting that the 'All men' phrase omitted many.

Thomas Jefferson

The principal author of the Declaration of Independence.

Articles of Confederation

The first national constitution of the United States, designed to create a weak central government, against which states eventually rebelled.

U.S. Constitution

Drafted in secrecy by delegates in 1787, it raised questions about its stance on slavery, leading William Lloyd Garrison to call it 'a covenant with death and an agreement with hell!'.

William Lloyd Garrison

A white abolitionist who famously burned the U.S. Constitution in 1854, calling it 'a covenant with death and an agreement with hell!'.

Phillis Wheatley's poetic style

Conservative and conforming, often using heroic couplets (iambic pentameter and end rhymes) and religious themes, yet containing sly and subversive messages for racial equality.

Heroic Couplets

A traditional poetic form consisting of rhyming pairs of lines in iambic pentameter, used by Phillis Wheatley.

'On being brought from Africa to America'

A poem by Phillis Wheatley that begins conservatively but subtly argues for racial equality by challenging stereotypical views of African Americans.

'To S.M., a young Affrican Painter, on Seeing His Works'

A poem by Phillis Wheatley that emphasizes creating a community and remembering Black individuals as 'artists,' transcending their enslaved status.

The Coquette Themes

Include marriage for female safety, women's self-determination, freedom vs. responsibility, male disappointment, societal hypocrisy, and patriarchal influence on women's behavior.

Hypocrisy and Double Standards (The Coquette)

A central theme in 'The Coquette,' evidenced by characters like Mrs. Richmond and Sanford, who are swayed by appearances and overlook moral failings.

Why is Walt Whitman still read today?

Walt Whitman revolutionized American poetry, and his work was super popular in America during the 1850s.