# Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral — Themes

> Major themes in Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley.

## Christian Redemption and Salvation

The poems consistently emphasize Christian theology, focusing on redemption through Jesus Christ's sacrifice, the promise of eternal life, and the importance of faith, as seen in poems like 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' and 'To the University of Cambridge.'

## Death and the Afterlife

Many elegies and funeral poems explore death as a transition to a heavenly afterlife, offering consolation to mourners by depicting the deceased as ascending to blissful immortality, as in 'On the Death of the Rev. Dr. Sewell' and 'On the Death of a Young Gentleman.'

## Freedom and Enslavement

Wheatley subtly addresses themes of freedom and tyranny, drawing on her own experience of being enslaved and brought from Africa, while advocating for liberty and condemning oppression, notably in 'To the Right Honourable William, Earl of Dartmouth.'

## Divine Providence and Nature

The natural world is portrayed as a reflection of God's wisdom, power, and goodness, with poems like 'Thoughts on the Works of Providence' celebrating creation as evidence of divine order and benevolence.

## Virtue and Moral Guidance

Wheatley repeatedly exhorts readers to pursue virtue, piety, and moral rectitude, warning against sin and temptation, as seen in 'On Virtue' and 'To the University of Cambridge,' where she urges students to shun evil.

## Race and Identity

Wheatley confronts racial prejudice and asserts the spiritual equality of African people, using her own identity as an 'Ethiop' or 'Afric's muse' to challenge racist assumptions, as in 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' and 'To S. M. A Young African Painter.'

## Grief and Consolation

The collection frequently addresses personal and communal grief, offering religious consolation by redirecting mourners' focus to heavenly reunion and divine will, as in 'To a Lady on the Death of Her Husband' and 'On the Death of a Young Lady of Five Years of Age.'

## Classical and Biblical Allusion

Wheatley weaves references to Greek and Roman mythology (e.g., Apollo, Niobe, the Muses) alongside biblical stories (e.g., David and Goliath, Isaiah) to elevate her themes and demonstrate her erudition, as in 'Niobe in Distress' and 'Goliath of Gath.'

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