To A Clergyman On The Death Of His Lady by Phillis Wheatley

WHERE contemplation finds her sacred spring, Where heav’nly music makes the arches ring, Where virtue reigns unsully’d and divine, Where wisdom thron’d, and all the graces shine, There sits thy spouse amidst the radiant throng, While praise eternal warbles from her tongue; There choirs angelic shout her welcome round, With perfect bliss, and peerless glory […]

Thoughts On The Works Of Providence by Phillis Wheatley

A R I S E, my soul, on wings enraptur’d, rise To praise the monarch of the earth and skies, Whose goodness and benificence appear As round its centre moves the rolling year, Or when the morning glows with rosy charms, Or the sun slumbers in the ocean’s arms: Of light divine be a rich […]

One Being Brought From Africa To America by Phillis Wheatley

‘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 now knew, Some view our sable race with scornful eye, ‘Their colour is a diabolic die.’ Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join […]

On Virtue by Phillis Wheatley

O Thou bright jewel in my aim I strive To comprehend thee. Thine own words declare Wisdom is higher than a fool can reach. I cease to wonder, and no more attempt Thine height t’ explore, or fathom thy profound. But, O my soul, sink not into despair, Virtue is near thee, and with gentle […]

On the Death of the Rev. Dr. Sewell by Phillis Wheatley

Ere yet the morn its lovely blushes spread, See Sewell number’d with the happy dead. Hail, holy man, arriv’d th’ immortal shore, Though we shall hear thy warning voice no more. Come, let us all behold with wishful eyes The saint ascending to his native skies; From hence the prophet wing’d his rapt’rous way To […]

On The Death Of Rev. Mr. George Whitefield by Phillis Wheatley

HAIL, happy saint, on thine immortal throne, Possest of glory, life, and bliss unknown; We hear no more the music of thy tongue, Thy wonted auditories cease to throng. Thy sermons in unequall’d accents flow’d, And ev’ry bosom with devotion glow’d; Thou didst in strains of eloquence refin’d Inflame the heart, and captivate the mind. […]

On The Death Of J. C. An Infant by Phillis Wheatley

NO more the flow’ry scenes of pleasure rife, Nor charming prospects greet the mental eyes, No more with joy we view that lovely face Smiling, disportive, flush’d with ev’ry grace. The tear of sorrow flows from ev’ry eye, Groans answer groans, and sighs to sighs reply; What sudden pangs shot thro’ each aching heart, When, […]

On The Death Of Dr. Samuel Marshall by Phillis Wheatley

THROUGH thickest glooms look back, immortal shade, On that confusion which thy death has made: Or from Olympus’ height look down, and see A Town involv’d in grief bereft of thee. Thy Lucy sees thee mingle with the dead, And rends the graceful tresses from her head, Wild in her woe, with grief unknown opprest […]

On The Death Of A Young Lady Of Five Years Of Age by Phillis Wheatley

FROM dark abodes to fair etherial light Th’ enraptur’d innocent has wing’d her flight; On the kind bosom of eternal love She finds unknown beatitude above. This known, ye parents, nor her loss deplore, She feels the iron hand of pain no more; The dispensations of unerring grace, Should turn your sorrows into grateful praise; […]

On the Death of a Young Gentleman by Phillis Wheatley

Who taught thee conflict with the pow’rs of night, To vanquish satan in the fields of light? Who strung thy feeble arms with might unknown, How great thy conquest, and how bright thy crown! War with each princedom, throne, and pow’r is o’er, The scene is ended to return no more. O could my muse […]

On Recollection by Phillis Wheatley

MNEME begin. Inspire, ye sacred nine, Your vent’rous Afric in her great design. Mneme, immortal pow’r, I trace thy spring: Assist my strains, while I thy glories sing: The acts of long departed years, by thee Recover’d, in due order rang’d we see: Thy pow’r the long-forgotten calls from night, That sweetly plays before the […]

On Imagination by Phillis Wheatley

Thy various works, imperial queen, we see, How bright their forms! how deck’d with pomp by thee! Thy wond’rous acts in beauteous order stand, And all attest how potent is thine hand. From Helicon’s refulgent heights attend, Ye sacred choir, and my attempts befriend: To tell her glories with a faithful tongue, Ye blooming graces, […]

On Being Brought from Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley

‘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, Negro’s, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join […]

Ode To Neptune by Phillis Wheatley

On Mrs. W—–‘s Voyage to England. I. WHILE raging tempests shake the shore, While AElus’ thunders round us roar, And sweep impetuous o’er the plain Be still, O tyrant of the main; Nor let thy brow contracted frowns betray, While my Susanna skims the wat’ry way. II. The Pow’r propitious hears the lay, The blue-ey’d […]

Niobe in Distress by Phillis Wheatley

Apollo’s wrath to man the dreadful spring Of ills innum’rous, tuneful goddess, sing! Thou who did’st first th’ ideal pencil give, And taught’st the painter in his works to live, Inspire with glowing energy of thought, What Wilson painted, and what Ovid wrote. Muse! lend thy aid, nor let me sue in vain, Tho’ last […]

Isaiah LXIII by Phillis Wheatley

Say, heav’nly muse, what king or mighty God, That moves sublime from Idumea’s road? In Bosrah’s dies, with martial glories join’d, His purple vesture waves upon the wind. Why thus enrob’d delights he to appear In the dread image of the Pow’r of war? Compres’d in wrath the swelling wine-press groan’d, It bled, and pour’d […]

Goliath Of Gath by Phillis Wheatley

SAMUEL, Chap. xvii. YE martial pow’rs, and all ye tuneful nine, Inspire my song, and aid my high design. The dreadful scenes and toils of war I write, The ardent warriors, and the fields of fight: You best remember, and you best can sing The acts of heroes to the vocal string: Resume the lays […]

An Hymn To The Morning by Phillis Wheatley

ATTEND my lays, ye ever honour’d nine, Assist my labours, and my strains refine; In smoothest numbers pour the notes along, For bright Aurora now demands my song. Aurora hail, and all the thousand dies, Which deck thy progress through the vaulted skies: The morn awakes, and wide extends her rays, On ev’ry leaf the […]

An Hymn To The Evening by Phillis Wheatley

Soon as the sun forsook the eastern main The pealing thunder shook the heav’nly plain; Majestic grandeur! From the zephyr’s wing, Exhales the incense of the blooming spring. Soft purl the streams, the birds renew their notes, And through the air their mingled music floats. Through all the heav’ns what beauteous dies are spread! But […]

An Hymn To Humanity by Phillis Wheatley

O! for this dark terrestrial ball Forsakes his azure-paved hall A prince of heav’nly birth! Divine Humanity behold, What wonders rise, what charms unfold At his descent to earth! II. The bosoms of the great and good With wonder and delight he view’d, And fix’d his empire there: Him, close compressing to his breast, The […]

An Answer To The Rebus, By The Author Of These Poems by Phillis Wheatley

The poet asks, and Phillis can’t refuse To show th’ obedience of the Infant muse. She knows the Quail of most inviting taste Fed Israel’s army in the dreary waste; And what’s on Britain’s royal standard borne, But the tall, graceful, rampant Unicorn? The Emerald with a vivid verdure glows Among the gems which regal […]

A Rebus, By I. B. by Phillis Wheatley

I. A BIRD delicious to the taste, On which an army once did feast, Sent by an hand unseen; A creature of the horned race, Which Britain’s royal standards grace; A gem of vivid green; II. A town of gaiety and sport, Where beaux and beauteous nymphs resort, And gallantry doth reign; A Dardan hero […]

A Funeral Poem on the Death of C.E. by Phillis Wheatley

Through airy roads he wings his instant flight To purer regions of celestial light; Enlarg’d he sees unnumber’d systems roll, Beneath him sees the universal whole, Planets on planets run their destin’d round, And circling wonders fill the vast profound. Th’ ethereal now, and now th’ empyreal skies With growing splendors strike his wond’ring eyes: […]

A Farewel To America to Mrs. S. W. by Phillis Wheatley

I. ADIEU, New-England’s smiling meads, Adieu, the flow’ry plain: I leave thine op’ning charms, O spring, And tempt the roaring main. II. In vain for me the flow’rets rise, And boast their gaudy pride, While here beneath the northern skies I mourn for health deny’d. III. Celestial maid of rosy hue, O let me feel […]

wonder life by PALLAVI SINGH

It is just a scenery,  changing with a blink or a dream ,  which has no real link leading and working ,as i m involved sometimes i m out ,and mysteries are solved many aspects of each happening many phases of game we playing loving and fearing , which is no where lost and a […]

Why do ye torture me? by Patrick Pearse

Why do ye torture me? by Patrick Pearse Why are ye torturing me, O desires of my heart ? Torturing me and paining me by day and by night? Hunting me as a poor deer would be hunted on a hill, A poor long-wearied deer with the hound-pack after him There’s no ease to my […]

When I Looked At You by Patrick Neo Mabiletsa

When i look at you, I see someone who is willing to live for God, I see a human being, hungry to one day be with the king, When i look at you, i see a soldier for Christ, and for many years i looked at you, My eyes told me you were strong and […]

What I Love by Pamela L. Laskin

What I Love Bones singing over them, dancing when they are on the forest floor. Imah the light of her eyes the lightening of her voice she has taught me to be strong but in Abba’s presence she is quiet, but he is a wolf. I love the wolf the way he cares for his […]

Twelve Years by Paul Celan

The line that remained, that became true: . . . your house in Paris — become the alterpiece of your hands. Breathed through thrice, shone through thrice. ………………. It’s turning dumb, turning deaf behind our eyes. I see the poison flower in all manner of words and shapes. Go. Come. Love blots out its name: […]

Total Recount by Pamela Griffiths

Counting the years as they have gone by I need a recount, I need to know why Where have they gone? What happened, and when? I used to be young and I had a life then Lost in confusion, I live while I can The total years of life have a short span Life can […]

To a Beloved Child by Patrick Pearse

To a Beloved Child by Patrick Pearse Laughing mouth, what tortures me is That thou shalt be weeping; Lovely face, it is my pity That thy brightness shall grow grey. Noble head, thou art proud, But thou shalt bow with sorrow; And it is a pitiful thing I forbode for thee Whenever I kiss thee. […]

The Uses of the Eye by Paul Blackburn

When the door of the next truck is open it reads toward the cab —Z E N T A B L E S, the black dog leaps on the man in pure friendliness—he only wants to leave. . 8 seats to a table except one side of one table, only 3 the cigarette machine sits […]

The Undeniable Pressure of Existence by Patricia Fargnoli

The Undeniable Pressure of Existence by Patricia Fargnoli I saw the fox running by the side of the road past the turned-away brick faces of the condominiums past the Citco gas station with its line of cars and trucks and he ran, limping, gaunt, matted dull haired past Jim’s Pizza, past the Wash-O-Mat, past the […]

The Triumph Of Achilles by Paul Celan

In the story of Patroclus no one survives, not even Achilles who was nearly a god. Patroclus resembled him; they wore the same armor. Always in these friendships one serves the other, one is less than the other: the hierarchy is always apparant, though the legends cannot be trusted– their source is the survivor, the […]

The Rising and Falling of Trees by Patricia Fargnoli

The Rising and Falling of Trees by Patricia Fargnoli They rose up from the riverbank bending their dark shapes over the water like pillars that had been leaning too long in the sun and wanted to rest. And yes the river was lovely in its long feline flowing over and around the river stones. But […]

The One Night Stand : An Approach to the Bridge by Paul Blackburn

Migod, a picture window, both of us sitting there on the too-narrow couch variously unclothed watching sky lighten over the city You compile your list of noes it is incomplete I add another there is no anger we keep it open trying shying away, your all too-solid body melts, revives, stif- fens, clears and dis- […]

The Mother by Patrick Pearse

The Mother by Patrick Pearse I do not grudge them: Lord, I do not grudge My two strong sons that I have seen go out To break their strength and die, they and a few, In bloody protest for a glorious thing, They shall be spoken of among their people, The generations shall remember them, […]

The Choice of Trees by P.J.Reed

The Choice of Trees by P.J.Reed The silver birch ripples As soft shadows race; Leave dark footprints Through its hidden soul. Timid, trembling leaves, Confetti sprinkled On swaying brown tendrils Flowing softly in the breeze. The birch stands tall, Straining over rooftops, Silently watching The people pass by. From seed inception Fated to become A […]