Final answer:
Phillis Wheatley was a well-known poet in the 18th century. Even as an enslaved person, she achieved full literacy and wrote acclaimed poems, facing discrimination due to her race, but overcoming it to leave a significant mark on the literary world.
Step-by-step explanation:
Phillis Wheatley, depicted in Figure 7.6, was a notable figure in history as she was an enslaved person who achieved full literacy. Born in Africa in 1753 and bought by the Wheatley family in Boston, she became one of the best-known poets of her time. Regardless of the disbelief about her authorship due to her race, her poetry, including her notable piece 'Wordsworth' honoring the Romantic poet William Wordsworth, gained significant acclaim in both America and Europe.
Despite her achievements, Wheatley faced racism. For instance, Thomas Jefferson considered her verse proof of Africans' intellectual inferiority to whites. Despite this, she continued writing and her work received great recognition.
Upon her return to life as a well-paid writer, she authored a book that has been widely read and used in many college classrooms, further establishing her influence on the literary world.
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