1a. What is the speaker's emotional response to the painter's work?
2a. How does the speaker hope the painter will be rewarded for his beautiful work?
3a. When will the speaker meet the painter?
4a. What is the speaker's underlying assumption about inspiration?
5a. Do you share the same perspective as Wheatley about the importance of art, the nature of inspiration, and the existence of life after death? Why, or why not?
1b. What does the speaker mean when she says that the painter creates "breathing figures"? What does she mean by "A new creation"?
2b. To what subjects should the painter turn his attention, fixing his "ardent view"?
3b. How will the poet's and the painter's work change after they die and "view the landscape in the realms above"?
4b. In what way does Phillis Wheatley follow her own advice when writing this poem?
5b. What several influences from her life and education guided Wheatley's hand in writing this poem?
Allusion. Make a chart, listing the lines from the poem that have allusions on the left and the meaning of the allusions on the right. The first example has been done for you.
1. "And may the muse inspire each future song"
2. One of the mythological Greek muses presided over lyric poetry.
1. Write a paragraph to a classmate, explaining why you think Wheatley responds to the painting with a poem instead of a letter to express her sentiments about the painter's art.
2. Imagine that, as Phillis Wheatley, you have received a letter from another poet praising the optimism and positive spirit of your poem. Write a letter responding to your reader, explaining where your optimism and positive spirit come from.
3. Imagine that the speaker of the poem and the painter meet. Write a dialogue between other poets and painters in eighteenth-century America that covers their discussion about artistic inspiration.
Memo Writing.Read the Language Arts Survey 6.6, "Writing a Memo." Imagine that you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company called American Amalgamated Motors. Your board of directors has approved a donation of $1,250,000 to the Detroit Institute of American Arts to begin a collection of works by famous African-American artists, to be called the "Scipio Moorhead Collection" in honor of the artist to whom Wheatley's poem is addressed. Write a memo to Ms. Paula Palette, director of the museum, announcing your company's decision, explaining the types of art you are willing to sponsor, and requesting a meeting to discuss the details of the arrangement. Follow proper memo form.
Role Play. With a partner, play the roles of Phillis Wheatley and Susannah Wheatley. Phillis has just read her new poem, called "To S. M., a Young African Painter, on Seeing His Works," to Susannah. If you play the role of Susannah, ask Phillis questions about word choice, allusions, the poem's rhyme and meter scheme, the meaning of certain lines, and her beliefs about inspiration and life after death. If you play the role of Phillis, give complete answers to Susannah's questions.
Multimedia Show.Create a list of African Americans in the areas of dance, poetry, music, painting, acting, sculpture, and photography. Then take notes on these artists' contributions. Artist: Area: Contributions: Artist: Area: Contributions: Artist: Area: Contributions: Artist: Area: Contributions: Artist: Area: Contributions: Artist: Area: Contributions: Artist: Area: Contributions: Artist: Area: Contributions:
