Question

This poem is written in heroic couplets – a neoclassical style of poetry – as well as in iambic pentameter. In your opinion, why did Phillis Wheatley choose to write in this form? What are the benefits and disadvantages of it?

Answer 1

Phillis Wheatley used neoclassical style heroic couplets and iambic pentameter for their formality and stateliness, showcasing her literary skill and subtly challenging societal norms, despite the strict linguistic discipline the form demands.

Step-by-step explanation:

Phillis Wheatley chose to write in heroic couplets and iambic pentameter to align with the neoclassical style of her era, demonstrating her mastery of a form associated with balance, harmony, and proportion. By adopting this structure, Wheatley showed she could excel in a poetic form esteemed by her contemporaries and thereby challenge societal views about race and capability. Heroic couplets are end-stopped and feature a pause at the end of each line, which can be marked by punctuation such as a comma, semi-colon, or period, lending a formal quality to the verse.

The meter imbued in iambic pentameter carries a stateliness that suits the literary significance of the work and the class of the character speaking; it allows for the inclusion of rare words and metaphors which can add to the richness and depth of a narrative poem. However, the rigidity of this structure can also be a disadvantage as it requires intense linguistic precision, making the writing process more arduous and limiting the poet's freedom in word choice.

Answer 2

Phillis Wheatley choose to write like this because:

1. Poems written in iambic pentameter expresses decorum and grandeur of the language.

2. Each couplet expresses a complete thought.

3. There is an "explosion" good rhyming couplets bring. It brings both the rhyme and the idea into a quick close in two lines.

Step-by-step explanation:

Some of the benefits are:

1. This form of writing enabled Wheatley to purposefully advocate her freedom.

2. It was a tool to deliver safely on the subject matter for a slave poet in a dominantly white society.

3. Wheatley utilizes satire to force an acknowledgement of equality in the eyes of God by her keepers.

4. It makes poems and poets become serious and seriously accepted by readers.

The one disadvantage I discovered is that it seems somehow cumbersome to understand by laymen.