Product Description
In the fall of 1775, General George Washington was struggling to find a way to fight the British so that the colonies could be free from England.Phillis Wheatley, and African American poet who herself had struggled to gain freedom, decided to write Washington a poem of encouragement.Ann Malaspina's inspiring story shows the life and times of these two brave people who did so much to lay the foundation of our country. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Kid-Approved!
The previous review says it all.I'd just like to add that I purchased this book for my son... that was my excuse anyway, because I was interested in learning about this poet, Phillis Wheatley, who wrote a poem to George Washington.I read it to my son who is in 4th grade.He liked it and took it to school to share it with his class!It was all his idea.I think that goes far to approve this book -- when a child recommends it!

Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children
Sold for just a few casks of rum to slavetraders, Phillis Wheatley was taken from her African homeland to a slave market in Boston, where she ended up working as a servant for a well-to-do family. The mother of the white family defied prevailing beliefs and customs at the time and taught Phillis to read and write, not just in English but also in Latin.Within just a few years Phillis was well-versed in a number of subjects and had demonstrated an extraordinary talent for poetry.

Due to severe discrimination at the time, no printer would publish Phillis's poetry until a group of prominent Bostonian men verified that she had indeed written the poems. Her book and subsequent writings helped Phillis to gain her freedom, and her poetry also served as a source of inspiration for General George Washington during the Revolutionary War.

Striking oil paintings and informative text help younger readers to become more familiar with Phillis Wheatley's literary contributions and the challenges she faced as a slave in Colonial America in publishing her work. Told in parallel is a brief narrative of how George Washington organized his ragtag army of militiamen.Although this literary device may have been intended to show how George Washington was inspired by Wheatley's poetry, Wheatley's story is interesting enough to hold on its own as a powerful example of an influential African American author in Colonial times who wrote about freedom and social justice.

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Product Description
This is the remarkable story of Phillis Wheatley, who is born into an African family of griots, or storytellers, but captured by slave raiders and forced aboard a slave ship, where appalling conditions spell death for many of her companions. Numerous sharks follow the ship, feeding on the corpses of slaves thrown overboard.Weakened by the voyage and near death in a Boston slave market, Wheatley is bought by a kind family who nurses her back to health and teaches her to read and write. Soon her mistress recognizes that the girl is a quick learner and talented. At the age of 12, a torrent of poetry begins to flow out of Wheatley. Proud of her achievements, her mistress organizes readings in Boston's finest parlors and drawing rooms, and Wheatley's fame spreads. But even when many in Boston are calling her a prodigy and a genius, some remain unsure that a slave should be able to write, much less write poetry. When Phillis travels to London she is a media sensation, feted by the cream of English society. A book of her poems is published, and she finally gains her freedom.This amazing story, wide in scope, is based on fact and told convincingly from young Wheatley's point of view. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of poems by the first published African-American poet, who was made a slave at the age of seven. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
The life of the woman who, although a slave, gained renown throughout the colonies as the first important black American poet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This book, was very inspirational, and uplifting!
If your looking for a book with some sadness, some love, and some great poetry, you'll love this book.It also contains some history, which is kinda cool, because while I was reading this book, I was learning about great events in the worlds past without even realizing it!I'm going into my freshmen year of college now, and I hate to read educational things but this book, brought me the inspiration to write my own poetry, and it taught me a lot as well, which is always a plus in a book. ... Read more

Product Description
Rich selection of 74 poems ranging from the religious and moral verse of Phillis Wheatley Peters (ca. 1753—1784) to 20th-century work of Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. Other contributors include James Weldon Johnson, Paul Laurence Dunbar, many others. Indispensable for students of the black experience in America and any lover of fine poetry. Introduction.
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Customer Reviews (3)

A valuable sample of poetry related with slavery.
A valuable and practical anthology on African American poetry. Really an interesting sample of poetry related with slavery since 1773. I strongly recommended. Francisco Bernardo Regino E. Dominican Republic.

A compact but rewarding sampling
"African-American Poetry: An Anthology, 1773-1927," edited by Joan Sherman, is a powerful and rewarding gathering of poems. Sherman has packed a lot into just 82 pages. Many of the giant names of African-American literature are here: Phillis Wheatley, Frances E.W. Harper, James Weldon Johnson, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and many more. There are also poets who are perhaps less well-known, but still admirable as literary creators. As a whole, these poets write with an intriguing variety of voices: solemn, satirical, militant, etc.

Many of black America's most important and most memorable poems are in here: Wheatley's "On Being Brought from Africa to America," Dunbar's "Sympathy" (with its significant line, "I know why the caged bird sings..."), and Countee Cullen's "Yet Do I Marvel." There are poems about slavery, literacy, religion, racial uplift, folk culture, and more. It is interesting to see the juxtaposition (sometimes from the same author) between poems written in vernacular language and those written in very formal English with classical references.

The only weak aspect of the book are the author bios. They are simply too short. Some are only a single sentence long, and they don't contain much bibliographic data. I would have liked a little more for each author. Still, this is an excellent anthology whose compact size and focus make it great both for classroom use and for general reading.

simply amazing
This book is simply amazing.I contains more culture than I have ever read in just one book.I definitely reccomend it to anyone. ... Read more

Product Description
More than 200 inspiring poems offer a superb, inexpensive introduction to the women poets of America, from the colonial-era works of Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley to the modern poetry of Marianne Moore and Sylvia Plath. Other authors include Emily Dickinson, Hilda Doolittle, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Amy Lowell, Emma Lazarus, and many more.
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Customer Reviews (1)

For the Sentimentalists
I bought this Dover Thrift knowing that I would at least like a few of the poems, and even one great poem would be worth a measly dollar.These are poems that speak of the greatness of America, or the treachery of slavery, or other such things that bring tears to your eyes if you don't fall asleep before its over.Now don't get me wrong, every poem in this book marks a great step for women in poetry, and all of the poems are good.For those who like surrealism and dreamlike imagerythough (like me), this book is more worth buying for the poems such as:"Daddy" (S. Plath's jerking rendering of the thoughts of a half-Jew, half-German woman), "Bluebeard's Closet" (R. Cooke's portrayal of the horrors of the room filled with dead wives), and a few other such of the like.The title, "Great Poems by American Women" should read "Great First Poems by American Women".The great poems of more recent poets were awfully ignored in the making of this mediorce (but hey, not a bad trade for the price) anthology. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (14)

Inspiration for All Ages
A tragic beginning, an unlikely intervention, and a life of hope and love... in the hands of a master storyteller. Award-winning author, Wendy Lawton, does it again in her most recent installment of The Daughters of the Faith series. Freedom's Pen is an historical fiction stand-alone billed for eight to twelve-year-old girls, but a book even the most sophisticated reader will enjoy.

Phillis Wheatley was kidnapped into slavery, sold on an auction block and transplanted into pre-revolutionary war-brewing Boston.She lived during a time when slave children remained uneducated, women were rarely published and most didn't believe a slave could learn to read much less become a celebrated writer. Despite all odds, she became a popular poet, the first African-American to publish a book, and one of the first writers to earn a living from her work. Maker of literary and American history Phillis Wheatley lived a life of humility and grace.

Lawton retells Phillis's early years with captivating scintillation. She flawlessly knits known facts and fictional details into a riveting story of loss, hope, and triumph. The reader is transported to Africa, the horrors of a slave ship, and then to the affluent Wheatley home in a way that is historically accurate, but without so much detail as to overwhelm young readers.Lawton handles heavy themes with an eye toward age-appropriateness.

The characters are riveting, real, and complex: from the cruelty of the slave traders, to the generosity and caring of the slave-owning Wheatleys, to Phillis with her heart-wrenching loss, struggle, and ultimate victory. Affluent visitors and resentful slaves in the Wheatley household add additional tension. Faith and prevalent Christian themes are explored and lived out without being preachy.

The ending comes quickly but leaves the reader satisfied. A back-of-book glossary and non-fiction notes add fullness and closure to the reading experience. Highly recommended for anyone with a bent toward history, humanity, or hope.

From the Christian Library Journal; used by permission.

Freedom's Pen
Having read each of Wendy Lawton's, Daughters of The Faith series, I was anxious for Phillis Wheatley's story to come out and Freedom's Pen did not disappoint. I was so taken by little Janxa (African name given by Wendy) that I dreaded the moment I knew was coming when she would be swept away from her family and all she knew.
Janxa's tender yet determined character and the close bond between Janxa and her father adds to the drama that soon unfolds.

This amazing story of a sickly little seven-year-old slave girl, and what happens to her on middle passage, and then in the home of the Wheatleys kept me turning the pages. Through the writing of this truly awesome life of Phillis, Wendy Lawton depicts so well the touch and direction of the hand of God. If you don't know the rest of the story, you must read Freedom's Pen. Children will see that age doesn't matter. They can still accomplish great things. Once read I can't wait to pass Wendy Lawton's books on to my grandchildren.

Beautiful Story for Children and Adults Alike.....
I was thrilled to read Wendy Lawton's "Freedom's Pen" for two reasons: I studied the writings of Colonial American slave Phillis Wheatley in an American Literature course and found her a fascinating and compelling character. Also, my daughter teaches disabled children at the Phillis Wheatley School in Kansas City, MO.

As I read Freedom's Pen, I wondered how many at our local school actually knew the story of Phillis, and determined that I would donate this book to their library, since I believe it should be required reading.

Kids who struggle with the ridicule of others, for example, will take much inspiration from the fact that Phillis--even though she was a slave in a prosperous family who treated her well--still endured persecution, even from fellow slaves who were jealous of her superior living conditions. She would regularly end a day in which she'd been unfairly ostracized by writing her heart out. Eventually, her poetry promoted her in society both in America and England.

When I read Phillis's story, I can't help but think of a Scripture verse. "Your gifts will make a place for you." This young girl's gifts for storytelling, her capacity for language, and her humility earned her an enduring place in American history--and in American literature, too.

Thank you, Ms. Lawton, for a superb book about one of my favorite historical characters. I can't wait to pass this one on to the Phillis Wheatley School!

My review by Carter Nelson
Freedom's Pen is an inspiring story about a girl who was first named Janxa.Janxa lived in Africa and was captured by the Tubab (white people) and sent to America.Later, she was named Phillis after her slave ship.She was sold as a slave and adopted by a kind family named the Wheatleys.She was tutored by Mrs. Wheatley's daughter, Mary.Because of this, she started to write poetry at age 13 and eventually was freed.

I liked this story because Phillis never gave up regardless of her position.

By Carter Nelson, age 10

An Engrossing Slice of History
Freedom's Pen is an engrossing story about the woman Phillis Wheatley. We are taken from her childhood and experience her desire from a very early age to to create poems to commemorate other people. I loved the curiosity that Phillis has from a very early age, and her desire to learn where she belongs in the world. Although she has so often been told that everything that happens is the will of Allah, she is taken to America in the most harrowing of experiences, through a slave boat.

God's hand was on Phillis's life and he brought her into the family of the Wheatleys. She begins to read and write and, in the midst of a world where African Americans were treated as though they did not have a soul, begins to create incredible and beautiful poetry.

Wendy Lawton gives us a beautiful and endearing portrait of America's first published African American. We feel as though we are there with Phillis and have the chance to look through the eyes of someone who saw God's will and love in her life despite her slavery ... Read more

Product Description
The 18th century was a wealth of knowledge, exploration and rapidly growing technology and expanding record-keeping made possible by advances in the printing press. In its determination to preserve the century of revolution, Gale initiated a revolution of its own: digitization of epic proportions to preserve these invaluable works in the largest archive of its kind. Now for the first time these high-quality digital copies of original 18th century manuscripts are available in print, making them highly accessible to libraries, undergraduate students, and independent scholars.
Western literary study flows out of eighteenth-century works by Alexander Pope, Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Frances Burney, Denis Diderot, Johann Gottfried Herder, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and others. Experience the birth of the modern novel, or compare the development of language using dictionaries and grammar discourses.
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The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:
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Harvard University Houghton Library

T153734

With a mixture of horizontal and vertical chain lines, and with two final contents leaves.The advertisements on the final page begin: "Lately published in 2 vols. twelves, .. "; a variant begins: "Lately published, (price 5s. sewed.)".

London : printed for A. Bell; and sold by Messrs. Cox and Berry, Boston, 1773. 124,[4]p.,plate : port. ; 8° ... Read more

Product Description
THIS IS NOT A BOOK ABOUT BONDAGE-though its pages bleed with evidence of slavery's cruel reign. Neither is it a chronicle of the Reconstruction era or twentieth-century racial strife, though these events have left indelible marks on the lives of the authors. First and foremost, it is a collection of literature, replete with pain, joy, humor, wisdom-the range of human experiences and expressions-all set within the context of black history.This Prestwick House anthology captures the essence of the African American canon with an assortment of poems, essays, short stories, speeches, and excerpted autobiographies spanning three centuries. Featuring Toni Morrison's short story Recitatif, alongside seasoned classics by Paul Laurence Dunbar, W.E.B. Du Bois, and others, this volume is an indispensable part of any personal library or classroom curriculum. ... Read more

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pubOne.info thank you for your continued support and wish to present you this new edition. THE following POEMS were written originally for the Amusement of the Author, as they were the Products of her leisure Moments. She had no Intention ever to have published them; nor would they now have made their Appearance, but at the Importunity of many of her best, and most generous Friends; to whom she considers herself, as under the greatest Obligations. ... Read more

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Introduces the life and accomplishments of the first-ever African-American poet to have her works published, Phillis Wheatley. ... Read more

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The American Female Poets Series Presents:PHILLIS WHEATLEY - American Poetess.Two Poems Presented Here:1. ON THE DEATH OF A YOUNG GENTLEMAN OF GREAT PROMISE.2. SLEEP. (FROM A POEM ON THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD.)Includes Brief Biological Sketch of Poet.Print source: American Female PoetsMay, Caroline, b. ca. 1820, ed.918 Words ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A classic by one of america's finest masters
this volume of poetry is a masterpiece. anyone who likes to read poetry (even those who don't) will enjoy this book. her simple free-flowing style is easy to follow, and creates a window into what it was like to live in the time and place that she did. these poems range in subject matter from the revolution, to religion. she wrote something for everyone. Reading her poetry, it's hard to comprehend how she could write with such clarity and depth at such a young age (she passed away at age 31) I highly recomend this book of poems to anyone with even a slight interest in poetry, you won't be disapointed I promise!! ... Read more