By the fading light of a candle, an African-American slave girl furiously composes poems that will change her world; a youthful girl on a plantation buries herself in her Father’s books while composing her own epic. A young girl, though mute, reads the famous writing of her time and begins to compose her own; a blind woman writes poems in her head that later become some of the most loved hymns. Barely old enough to write, a toddler dictates to her mother rhyming couplets, while another young lady studies seriously while composing poems that won’t become famous until she dies.
Phyllis Wheatley, Elizabeth Barret Browning, Maya Angelou, Fanny Crosby, Christina Rosetti, and Emily Dickinson—all of these poets have their own story. They all have unique backgrounds and careers. They all stumbled upon poetry a little differently, and each of them has changed the world a little at a time with their writing. How did they begin, though? What sparked in them the interest to begin writing?
Born in 1753 in Senegal/Gambia, West Africa, Phyllis Wheatley did not have an easy life. At age seven, slave traders captured her, tore her away from her family, and brought her to America, where she became a slave under Susanna and John Wheatley. Though she was a slave, the Wheatleys allowed her to have an education, which was unheard of at the time. This education, what she saw around her, and her hard life all became her inspiration for her poetry. Her poetry inspired enslaved people, especially enslaved women, shocked free people, and became the abolitionists’ proof that blacks were intelligent and artistic. Some of her more famous collections of poems are Poems On Various Subjects (1773) and Liberty and Peace (1784), although historians believe that in her lifetime she wrote as many as 145 poems. However, as she lived quite a long time ago, sadly most of those poems have been lost. Phyllis Wheatley is considered one of the best-known poets of pre-nineteenth-century America.
Elizabeth Barret Browning, born in 1806 and died in 1861, greatly impacted English culture with her poetry and was highly regarded in the poetry circles at that time. She made quite a name for herself throughout her career and even inspired Emily Dickinson, another famous poet. Though married to Robert Browning, her work even impressed him, and when visited she usually held the spotlight. At a very young age, she immersed herself in the classics, at age four she composed verse, and she began composing four book epics at age twelve. Her poems greatly influenced English culture, as she wrote sonnets, ballads, and epics for all genders and age groups. She wrote romantic poems and essays, and she wrote anything based on her frustrations, sorrows, and joys. Throughout many trials, she remained steadfast and let nothing stop her from writing.
Francis Jane Van Alstyne Crosby was a hymn writer, poetry writer, mission worker, and composer. In her lifetime she wrote as many as 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, as well as more than a thousand secular poems, and had several books published. She had a very rich, extensive family tree that could trace its roots way back into American history. At six weeks old, different situations made Fanny Crosby blind; however, she did not let this stop her. Throughout her life’s ups and downs, her strong Christian faith kept her grounded and steady. Her first poem was published without her knowledge, and throughout her whole career she hesitated to publish her poems because she regarded them as “unfinished works.” Her blindness never stopped her from doing anything she wanted to do, in fact, many of her most well-loved works were inspired by her determination to look on the bright side even though she could not see.
Christina Rosetti came from an extremely gifted family that immigrated from Italy. Her love of poetry came from her mother’s loving teaching and her great love for nature. She had a very happy childhood, and from an early age, she had a great gift for writing. Once published, her poetry held great fame, and people argued whether she or Browning was the greater poet. Her writing style changed frequently; however, most people agree that her writing was less intellectual, political, and varied from Browning’s and that she had a great lyrical gift. She could compose sonnets in a matter of minutes, and many of her poems are greatly enjoyed today.
Emily Dickinson is considered America’s greatest and most original poet. She challenged the existing definition of poetry by experimenting and creating her own style and types of poetry. Born in 1830 and died in 1886, she spent her childhood studying. She enjoyed school, especially science, and Amherst Academy helped to develop her skills—it is where she began writing. However, in her later years she refused to get married, and she struggled to find community and friends because of her incredible shyness. These hardships and rebellions caused her to write poetry furiously so that she could escape. However, only seven of her poems were published when she was alive. When she died, her family found her hand-sewn books or “fascicles” in which there were almost 1,800 poems. These were published and are still famous today.
Maya Angelou led a very full and interesting life. She was a performer first but then became a poet, storyteller, author, and playwright; she was an educator and a civil rights activist as well. Born Marguerite Johnson in 1928, her childhood was filled with pain and abuse. She even was mute for five years at one point because of the hardships no child should ever have to endure. Her essays, children’s books, poetry, and autobiographies deal with heavy topics similar to her own experiences. Her poems have been praised more for their demand for social justice than for their poetic virtue. In her lifetime Angelou received the Presidential Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian award. In 2013, she received a literary award for contributing so widely to the literary community. Before her death, she received as many as fifty honorary degrees.
Though from different time periods, cultures, and walks of life, all of these women contributed to the world of poetry and books in their own way. They shaped minds, changed peoples’ lives, and influenced their cultures and their centuries. They walked through hardships and persecution, but they never stopped writing. Each of them deserves great recognition and praise, and there are many many more women poets who are waiting for the right moment to put their fingerprint on the world.
Photo Credit: iStock
Works Cited:
“Christina Rosetti.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/christina-rossetti
“Elizabeth Barret Browning.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/elizabeth-barrett-browning
“Emily Dickinson.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/emily-dickinson
“Fanny Crosby.” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_Crosby
“Maya Angelou.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/maya-angelou
“Phillis Wheatley.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/phillis-wheatley