Faith and Spirituality in Taylor and Wheatley's Works

Braxton VanCleave E00410731

P.O. Box 10232

Johnson City, TN 37614

Engl 2110-001, Fall 2015

Taylor’s “From God’s Determinations” and Wheatley; s “Thoughts on the Work of Providence” project the feelings of love, faith, and dedication they have toward their religion. Both texts are fine examples of two men writing how they feel, giving accounts of what they believe, and explaining how God, a supernatural being, has played an important role in the shaping their lives through the many acts of miracle He has performed such as creating the Earth. To explain in further detail, both Taylor and Wheatley are constantly inserting examples of what their God has done throughout each text. It is made obvious to the reader that both men are very spiritual

However, each writer conveys the same message by providing the reader separate accounts of God’s works. In Taylor’s “From God’s Determinations”, Taylor explains how God is the creator of all things. He explains that he created the Earth, the sun, the moon, and the overall universe. In short, Taylor believes that God is the grand architect of his reality. From the information that is provided, one can infer that God, who is a supernatural being, has played a huge role in his life. According to Taylor’s writing, God is probably the one who Taylor believe, is responsible for breathing the gift of life into him in the first

Throughout each poem, both Taylor and Wheatley are constantly describing the nature they see around them. In Taylor’s work, there are multiple examples of him describing certain aspect of nature around him in a poetic fashion as he describes the rivers like green ribbon and the stars as twinkling Lanthorns in the sky. The same could be said for Wheatley throughout his poem. Wheatley is constantly describing the nature he has observed around him in almost every single line. He is seen describing to the reader about how the sun sets on the horizon above the ocean or how the morning will glow with somewhat of a rosy charm to them. By using descriptive power such as this, both Taylor and Wheatley are able to show their admiration for their Creator’s works in creating such a beautiful universe so that they may thrive