Study Notes: Phillis Wheatley's "To His Excellency General Washington"

Historical Context of "To His Excellency General Washington"

  • Author and Origin: The poem was composed by Phillis Wheatley, the first published African American female poet. Wheatley was an enslaved woman in Boston who became a celebrated literary figure.
  • Date of Composition: The poem was sent to General George Washington in October of 17751775, shortly after he took command of the Continental Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • Significance: This work is a primary example of Neoclassical poetry, utilizing heroic couplets and a formal, elevated tone to argue for the American cause during the Revolutionary War while personifying the fledgling nation.

Detailed Analysis of the Final Stanza (Transcript Page 22)

  • Historical Reference to the French and Indian War:

    • Wheatley writes: "One century scarce perform'd its destined round, / When Gallic powers Columbia's fury found;"
    • The term "Gallic powers" refers to the French. Wheatley is referencing the military conflicts involving France in North America (specifically the French and Indian War) where the American forces ("Columbia's fury") demonstrated their strength approximately one century prior to the current struggle.

  • Warning to the British Monarchy:

    • The line "And so may you, whoever dares disgrace / The land of freedom's heaven-defended race!" serves as a direct warning to Britain and any other foreign power that attempts to oppress the colonies.
    • The phrase "heaven-defended race" emphasizes the theme of providential favor, suggesting that the American side is protected by God.

  • Global Geopolitical Perspective:

    • Wheatley notes that the world is watching: "Fix'd are the eyes of nations on the scales, / For in their hopes Columbia's arm prevails."
    • This indicates that the American Revolution is not a localized conflict but an event of global importance where international observers hope for the victory of the colonies.

  • The Defeat of Britain:

    • "Anon Britannia droops the pensive head, / While round increase the rising hills of dead."
    • "Britannia" is the personification of Great Britain. Wheatley depicts Britain as mourning and weighed down by the losses of war, symbolizing the high human cost of the conflict and the inevitability of British defeat.
    • The "rising hills of dead" is a vivid imagery of the battlefield casualties resulting from Britain's "thirst of boundless power."

  • Final Exhortation to George Washington:

    • Wheatley addresses Washington directly: "Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side, / Thy ev'ry action let the Goddess guide."
    • She urges him to continue his leadership while being governed by virtue and divine inspiration (the Goddess Columbia).

  • The Promise of Reward:

    • The poem concludes with a vision of Washington's future honor: "A crown, a mansion, and a throne that shine, / With gold unfading, WASHINGTON! Be thine."
    • While Washington famously rejected the idea of being a king, Wheatley uses these monarchical symbols to represent the highest level of respect, immortality, and divine reward for his service.

Symbolic Representations and Personification

  • Columbia:

    • Wheatley uses the name "Columbia" to personify the American colonies.
    • In the context of the poem, Columbia is often depicted as a goddess with "golden hair" and "heavenly rays," representing liberty and the justice of the American cause.

  • Britannia:

    • Britannia serves as the personified foil to Columbia.
    • While Columbia is youthful and divinely favored, Britannia is portrayed as "blind," "cruel," and ultimately "pensive" in her defeat.

  • The Scales of Justice:

    • The reference to "the scales" symbolizes the weighing of the cause of freedom against the cause of tyranny. Wheatley suggests that the moral weight of the colonies will eventually triumph.

Philosophical and Rhetorical Implications

  • Divine Providence: The poem is rooted in the belief that the American Revolution is a divine mission. The use of terms like "heaven-defended" and "the Goddess" reinforces the idea that the political struggle is also a spiritual one.
  • Virtue and Leadership: Wheatley focuses on Washington's personal virtue as the engine of his military success. This reflects the 18th-century Enlightenment ideal that a leader’s moral character is inseparable from their political efficacy.
  • The Irony of Freedom: There is a deep historical irony in an enslaved woman writing about the "land of freedom" and a "heaven-defended race." Wheatley uses the rhetoric of the Revolution to subtly point toward the universal right to liberty, even as she herself lacked it under the laws of the time.

Vocabulary and Terminology

  • Gallic: Relating to Gaul or modern-day France.
  • Columbia: A poetic and allegorical name used for the United States / American colonies.
  • Britannia: The personification of the United Kingdom.
  • Anon: In a short time; soon.
  • Pensive: Engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought, often with a touch of sadness.