Question

in at least 150 words, describe how wheatley uses figurative language and symbolism to convey her message about god in "an hymn to the evening."

Answer 1

Most of the poem "An Hymn to the Evening" concerns itself with giving praise to God for any personal virtue we have acquired. Its Christian message is not considered neoclassical and the model to which all other pastoral poetry should aspire. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

The time is the late 1700s, better referred to as the Revolutionary period. The writings of Phillis Wheatley are influenced by the morality of slavery and the hard times faced in the revolution, and afterwards when the government was slowly being formed. Phillis wrote this to describe the beauty of the evening, the amazing phenomenon that occurs and the earth. Phillis uses several techniques to make the poem exceptional. For instance, she uses a definite scheme "soon as the sun forsook the eastern main". The poem uses very unfamiliar words to most people of this time. Zephyr - a west wind. This is used to describe how the wind is personified as a bird carrying that scent of spring with it. This use of imagery is normal but the language shows that the time is different. In addition the literature has many places that no longer resemble what is in the poem.