Discussion Topic
Analysis of Themes, Comparisons, and Structure in Wheatley's "To His Excellency General Washington"
Summary:
Phillis Wheatley's "To His Excellency General Washington" celebrates themes of patriotism and heroism, comparing General Washington to classical heroes. The poem is structured in heroic couplets, which imbue the text with a formal and elevated tone. Wheatley's use of classical references and personification of America as a goddess underscores the revolutionary spirit and the moral righteousness of the American cause.
What does the speaker ask in lines 1-8 of "To His Excellency General Washington"? What three things are compared to the colonial army in lines 13-22, and who is addressed in lines 29-38? How does this section differ from the rest of the poem?
In the first eight lines of the poem, Wheatley is calling on the heavens to examine the Colonial struggle for independence from the British. She argues that this is a battle where the natural law which validates individual freedom hangs in the balance, and the gods should pay special attention to it. The constant interplay between light and darkness might allude to the difficulty in the battle for Independence, the struggle for Colonial Identity in the Revlolutionary War, which was to be far from guaranteed or easy. In lines 13- 22, Wheatley compares the Colonists' efforts to Eolus, the Greek King of Winds. The comparison might be to link colonial struggle's strength to the power of the Greek god of winds. She also invokes a comparison to the bounty of leaves that fall in Autumn, signifying that the struggle for colonial freedom is as thick and dense as leaves that...
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fall on the ground. Finally, when the poet brings to light the flag that waves in the air, she is suggesting that the colonial warrior's "train" will march and in this work, the work of fighting will be as powerful as the flag that waves "unfurl'd" in the air. The end of the poem almost serves as a type of prophecy that suggests to all that America will win and Washington will assume "a crown, a mansion, and a throne that shines." Wheatley concludes with this resounding call that the gods favor the Colonists' struggle for independence and victory is all but assured, with Washington's leadership intact.
What three comparisons does Wheatley make about the Colonial Army in her poem "To His Excellency General Washington"?
In Phillis Wheatley's famous poem in praise of George Washington "To his Excellency George Washington," Wheatley uses a neoclassical style with classical allusions (e.g., "The goddess comes, she moves divinely fair, / Olive and laurel bind her golden hair") to describe Washington leading the nation in war. While America is "Columbia" (e.g., "When Gallic powers Columbia’s fury found"), Washington's army is metaphorically compared to a "warrior's train" (line 20), a "martial band" (line 26), and "Columbia's arm" (line 34).
The comparative metaphor of a warrior's train brings up images of Medieval warriors fighting for truth and righteousness arrayed in ranks and rows behind the valiant Lord or Knight or Sovereign King leading them forward. A "train" in this sense is the military formation of troops in rank and file. Washington's "martial band" is a military allusion to a united group dedicated to one purpose (i.e., band), while "martial" refers to that which is associated with armed forces.
In calling America "Columbia," Wheatley echoes the female name for the United States that alludes to the name of Christopher Columbus and that was used for the British American colonies as early as 1730 (Online Etymology Dictionary at Dictionary.com). So "Columbia's arm" signifies the military strength and power of the nation of the United States.