The Poems of Phillis Wheatley, as Originally Published in London, 1773

What it is

This is a 1909 reprint of Phillis Wheatley's original 1773 book of poems, first published in London. The reprint was issued in Philadelphia and reproduces her full collection so readers a century later could study it.

Why it matters

Wheatley's 1773 book was a landmark: she was enslaved as a child, learned English quickly, and became famous for her poetry while still young. The republishers explain they wanted later generations to understand her talent. The book shows both her own words and how people long afterward kept her memory alive.

Look closer

• Why might the 1909 publishers have chosen to reprint a book first published over a century earlier?
• What does the publisher's introduction reveal about how Wheatley was remembered in the early twentieth century?
• How might reading her actual poems change your understanding of her compared to only reading about her?