Comparisons and Contrasts of Phillis Wheatley and Paul Laurence Dunbar The purpose of this essay is to clearly acknowledge similarities as well as differences amongst two great writers: Phyllis Wheatley and Paul L. Dunbar. Wheatley and Dunbar were two brilliant African American writers born of two different centuries. Both began writing at an early age and were seen as black child prodigies of their times. The points of comparison these two writers share are that they were both iconic poets of their day and that they wrote in what is referred to as “black dialect.” The differences between them are their cultural and educational backgrounds. There are several points of comparison between the two writers. First, both wrote collections of poetry. Wheatley is considered the mother of the African-American literary tradition. She became the first African American to publish a book and the second woman in the United States to publish a collection of poetry. Her writing abilities sent a wave of shock through the white Americans of her day and many found it unbelieva...
What I can infer from reading their passages is that they have very interesting things in common. I personally feel like they torn down by differences. Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass were being discriminated because of their color while Sandra Cisneros was being neglected because she was the only daughter in her family. They would use writing to express themselves in many
Wheatley was born in West Africa around 1750, and was captured when she was 7. John Wheatley purchased Phillis for his wife, Susanna; together they taught Phillis how to read and write, and as early as 12, Phillis was writing poetry and her first poem had been published. Wheatley’s poems implicitly advocated for racial equality, while condemning slavery. Her work received some negative feedback from political figureheads, such as Thomas Jefferson. White America classified a human as having the ability to read, write, and reason; therefore, leaving no room for the uneducated Africans, seeing Africans as nonhuman. Jefferson claimed Wheatley’s work was not literature because the moment he admitted Wheatley’s work was indeed literature, he would have had to admit she was a human being. The way Phillis Wheatley handled the adversity she faced is admirable. Wheatley definitely impacted American history, and “owes her place in history to advocates of inequality” (Young 1999
They both have a theme of racism and the author gave out what it was like for the black community in the past on having to go threw what they did everyday. In these novels, the characters and the society are alike however, unfortunately they have different endings.
Nettles Rauch, Esther. “Paul Laurence Dunbar”. African American Writers. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Bowie High School, Arlington, TX. 17 Nov. 2009.
...ce, although both writings are interesting in their own ways, the most interesting aspect of both writings together is that they both have a similar plot and theme. It is rare that two
...t social injustices (Weidt 53). Because of her quest for freedom, she gave way to writers such as Gwendolyn Brooks and Countee Cullen. Countee Cullen wrote "Heritage," which mixes themes of freedom, Africa, and religion. It can be said, then, that he gave way to writers such as Gwendolyn Brooks wrote "Negro Hero," which is about the status of the African American during the 1940s. Clearly, these poets followed the first steps taken by Phillis Wheatley towards speaking out against social issues, and today's poetry is a result of the continuation to speak out against them
In this essay you will read about numerous similarities as well as differences between these two gentlemen. Their names are Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. But before I explain the differences between these two gentlemen, I will give you a more in depth background on each of them. This information that I will provide for you will give you a clearer thought on how they were raised and their beliefs.
3. Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 51: Afro-American Writers from the Harlem Renaissance to 1940. A Bruccoli Clark Layman Book. Edited by Trudier Harris, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Gale Group, 1987. pp. 133-145.
... different authors from two different ways of life could write poems in different styles about the same topics. Hughes with his blues infused poems and Cullen's with his "Negro spirit and Christian upbringing" (Ferguson), both of these men inspired hundreds of people and their work can still make an impact on those that read it. It sure did for me. I recommend these poems to anyone, and I hope that everyone can enjoy and appreciate them as much as I have.
Walker and Marshall write about an identity that they have found with African-American women of the past. They both refer to great writers such as Zora Neale Hurston or Phillis Wheatley. But more importantly, they connect themselves to their ancestors. The see that their writings can be identified with what the unknown African-American women of the past longed to say but they did not have the freedom to do so. They both admire many literary greats such as Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, and Jane Austen, but they appreciate these authors' works more than they can identify with them.
In class, we discussed the works of many amazing authors. Two amazing authors, and great leaders as well, that stood out to me the most would be Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois. You could easily compare the two when talking about themes such as post slavery and the reconstruction era. Although they advocated for the same causes, each author had their own views on the subject in itself. There were many points that they strongly disagreed on such as economics, behavior, identity, and education as well. The different philosophies mainly focused on ending racial injustice and the black community as a whole. Each African American leader had unique points of views on the lives and conditions of African Americans in that time and what should
Wheatley was the first African American woman living in America to publish a book of poems at the age of 19, Wheatley was brought from Africa to
basic charge of this criticism can be stated in the words of a recent critic,
Two well regarded and recognized poets, Maya Angelou and Alice Walker, wrote lots of different renowned poetry that is appreciated for its beauty and its truth. Both poets are African American woman, although in different times, many of their words rang true to one other. Their work can be compared and contrasted by understanding the poems as two separate pieces of work, and then looking at how each are similar and different in their own respects.
In both Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman’s works, they emphasize some differences in their writing. In Dickinson’s works she shows that her works are short and simple poems, while Whitman’s poems and often long and complex. With Dickinson showing that her works are short and simple, while Whitman brings on a more sophisticated style, it truly shows that they use their own unique style of writing. In both Whitman and Dickinson works they have been known for being such unique artist and being original, while people try so hardly to impersonate their style, but they are unable to come close to accomplishing it.