Text of the Poem

‘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, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train.

Footnotes

  1. In the Bible, Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy. The mark of Cain, mentioned in Genesis 4:15, is thought to be dark skin. It is the punishment that God puts on Cain and his descendants for killing Abel.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor

  2. Sable is a synonym for black.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor

  3. According to Merriam-Webster, benighted means “1. Overtaken by darkness or night 2. Existing in a state of intellectual, moral, or social darkness: unenlightened.” Hence, this word holds a lot of weight because the speaker talks about her soul before Christ but also invokes pictures of her darker skin.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor

  4. For this poem, historical context is crucial. Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped from Africa and forced to live enslaved in early colonized America. Her owners taught her to read and write. With their vouching for her literacy, she became the first African American to publish a book of poetry. Readers should remember that she is a Black girl, taught to read and taught about her home country by white people. She must write to appeal to her white audience and owners. The use of pagan in this context makes sense. Wheatley is an enslaved Christian; she has to own her homeland.

    — Allegra Keys, Owl Eyes Editor