On being brought from AFRICA to AMERICA
A life-changing event can lead to a poem such as the one written by Phillis Wheatley (1753 – 1784). At a very young age, she was sold as a slave. With a ship, she sailed from Africa to America and was bought by a wealthy family from Boston. In her poem “On Being Brought From Africa To America,” she writes about her journey to another world. But in a way, this poem is a paradox. What makes part of this poem produce a bitter aftertaste?