|
IB World Literature
Pre-Kate Discussion Journal Assignment:
“On Being Brought
from Africa to America”
Complete discussion in groups. All group members
should write down ideas for all parts of the assignment. If the group does
not finish during class, each person should finish individually for homework
tonight.
Wheatley is the first published African-America poet in
America, dating from the mid- to late- 1700s. Wheatley was kidnapped in
Africa, shipped to America, and sold into slavery to the Wheatley family of
Boston at the age of 8. She began writing poetry at the age of 13 after
being educated by the Wheatleys.
- Read the poem below several times. You may want to
read it aloud a few times with different readers. There are two obvious
meanings to the poem. Discuss in your group what they are and make a
statement about the two ways you can read the poem on your papers.
- Then, for EACH of your readings, construct an
argument that proves that reading of the poem. Write two separate
arguments, one for each reading. In your arguments, you will want to
discuss/explain as many details of the poem as possible according to HOW
they support that reading. Among other aspects you notice to comment
on, please include in your argument a discussion of the following:
·
Word choice
·
Word order
·
Capitalization
·
Punctuation
As always, your explication
should include some mention of associations where appropriate.
THIS JOURNAL, for everyone, IS DUE FOR CLASS
TOMORROW. BE PREPARED.
ALSO,
PLEASE BRING TO CLASS A VARIETY OF HIGHLIGHERS AND/OR PENS AND/OR COLORED
PENCILS STARTING TOMORROW.
By
Phillis Wheatley
|
1
5
|
'TWAS mercy
brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my
benighted
soul to understand
That there's a
God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption
neither sought nor knew.
Some view our
sable race with scornful eye,
"Their colour is a
diabolic die."
Remember,
Christians,
Negros,
black as Cain,
May be refin'd,
and join th' angelic train. |
|