But, O my soul, sink not into despair,
Virtue is near thee, and with gentle hand
Would now embrace thee, hovers o’er thine head.
This quotation illustrates the power of "Virtue" in this poem. The speaker personifies virtue and frames it as a force that comforts and assuages the soul. Even though the speaker cannot comprehend virtue, virtue follows and guides the speaker.
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train.
These final lines in "On Being Brought from Africa to America" insist that anyone can "join th' angelic train" and be redeemed, regardless of their race. The preceding lines of this poem suggest that some, presumably white Christians, will see black people as "scornful" or "diabolic," but the speaker maintains the equality of all under Christianity.
Imagination! who can sing thy force?
Or who describe the swiftness of thy course?
Here, the speaker indicates the power and speed of imagination. Indeed, this poem addresses the importance of imagination to the writing process, and personifies the imagination in the style of Greek and Roman heroic poetry. The speaker later describes the ways imagination elevates the speaker and Fancy.
In full perfection all thy works are wrought,
And thine the sceptre o'er the realms of thought.
In this quotation, the speaker establishes the importance and dominance of the personified Imagination in "On Imagination." Indeed, Imagination rules in "full perfection" with a sceptre. Thought is under the dominion of Imagination, and creativity stems from the imaginative power of the speaker and of the personified Imagination in this poem.
When first thy pencil did those beauties give,
And breathing figures learnt from thee to live,
How did those prospects give my soul delight,
A new creation rushing on my sight?
This quote describes the elation of seeing a new piece of art, and the immense joy that the speaker receives from seeing paintings by the young African painter referenced in the poem's title. This quote also suggests how art can personify, creating living objects from static figures and forms. The speaker is electrified upon seeing these paintings, and is inspired to write this poem because of that elation.
Cease, gentle muse! the solemn gloom of night
Now seals the fair creation from my sight.
The closing line of this poem banishes the muse as the speaker contemplates the realities of death, and how death and everlasting life remove the speaker from contact with the muse, and thus the capacity to write and create new media. This quote also suggests that art will no longer be accessible in the afterlife, as an end to life will bring an end to the creation of earthly art. By telling the muse to cease, the speaker seems to be attempting to regain control over the inevitable loss of art that will come with death.
Night's leaden sceptre seals my drowsy eyes,
Then cease, my song, till fair Aurora rise.
This quote concludes "A Hymn to the Evening" and highlights Wheatley's frequent use of the words "sceptre," "Aurora," and "cease." Indeed, these words reappear throughout Wheatley's writings very consistently and show her interest in the muse, the sceptre or the rule of a king, and the Roman goddess Aurora. This quote ends the evening and the poem, anticipating a new day and a new muse.
Should you, my lord, while you peruse my song,
Wonder from whence my love of Freedom sprung,
Here, the speaker authoritatively addresses the Earl, and introduces the reasoning behind her love of "Freedom." The speaker implies that the Earl will view this song with a degree of condescension, indicating that he will "peruse" the song and "wonder" why the speaker would love or desire freedom. By naming this condescension, the speaker sets up her defense of the reasoning behind her love of freedom.
I, young in life, by seeming cruel fate
Was snatch'd from Afric's fancy'd happy seat:
What pangs excruciating must molest,
What sorrows labour in my parent's breast?
In this quotation, the speaker discusses the pain of being kidnapped from Africa. This excerpt describes Africa as a "fancy'd happy seat," a place of contentment and joy, and juxtaposes this with violent verbs like "snatch'd," and "molest." This juxtaposition vividly displays why the speaker loves and longs for the personified Freedom, as this Freedom was taken from them and from their family when they were kidnapped from Africa.
May fiery coursers sweep th' ethereal plain,
And bear thee upwards to that blest abode,
Where, like the prophet, thou shalt find thy God.
The finals lines of this poem seem to provide a thinly veiled false hospitality, and suggest that unless the Earl recognizes the freedom necessary for enslaved Africans, and not just for settlers in the thirteen colonies being controlled by the Stamp Act, that he is not truly advocating for freedom. By saying "thy God," Wheatley suggests that Dartmouth has his own God, a blasphemous assertion and an obvious overstatement. Indeed, this quote comments on the hypocrisy of enslaving Africans in America while advocating for freedom for white settlers.
