Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral

This moving collection of poems by Phillis Wheatley is intended to inspire Christians and tribute various believers who had recently been deceased.

Published in 1773, this collection brings together many of Wheatley's finest writings addressed to figures of the day. She writes evocative verse to academic establishments, military officers and even the King of England, with other verses discussing various subjects in verse form, offering condolences and verse commemorating recent events, or the death of a recent loved one. 

Recognized as one of the first black poets to be widely appreciated in the Western world, Phillis Wheatley was a devoted Christian whose talent with the English language impressed and awed her peers. This anthology of inspirational poetry affirms her reputation as an artist, and demonstrates her ability to console and assure people. 

Wheatley took plenty of influence from past works of poetry, such as Ovid's Metamorphosis. Several of the poems in this collection mention or allude to such masterpieces, the voracious absorption of which helped Phillis Wheatley to learn and hone her creative abilities. As well as being good poems in their own right, this verse gives the reader insightful glimpses of late 18th century society in which the author lived.