Question

Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,

Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew.
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
'Their colour is a diabolic die.'
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin'd and join th'angelic train.
Who most likely wrote this poem?

Answer 1

The poem illustrating themes of religion, race, and equality was written by Phillis Wheatley, an educated slave who used her work to subtly critique the societal views of Black people and slavery.

Step-by-step explanation:

The poem in question, which touches on themes of religion, race, and slavery, was written by Phillis Wheatley. Wheatley, who was herself a slave, uses her work to challenge the perspectives of her time, presenting a critique against the Christian society that saw African people as inferior and alien.

In the poem, she references the idea that Black people were like Cain, who in the Bible was marked by God after committing fratricide. Wheatley subverts this prejudiced narrative by arguing that even those 'black as Cain' can be refined and join in the heavenly 'angelic train,' suggesting the potential for spiritual and moral equality.

Moreover, Wheatley's education, provided by her owners, the Wheatley family, enabled her to craft poetry that engaged with Christian themes and Classical references, thereby allowing her intellect to shine despite the oppressive context of her enslavement.

Her work, which is an important piece of African American literature and religious discourse, suggests that mercy led her to a Christian land, but she subtlely critiques the institution that brought her to America.