‘A Hymn to the Morning’ is a remarkable poem penned by the esteemed poetess Phillis Wheatley (circa 1753-1784), celebrating the beauty and promise of the morning. This poem serves as a companion piece to her equally revered work, ‘A Hymn to the Evening,’ which, as one might infer, is dedicated to the splendor of twilight. Wheatley holds the distinction of being the first African-American woman to publish a book of poetry; her collection titled Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral was released in 1773 when she was likely in her early twenties, although her exact birth year remains uncertain.
Summary
The poem opens with a compelling invocation:
Attend my lays, ye ever honour’d nine,
Assist my labours, and my strains refine;
In smoothest numbers pour the notes along,
For bright Aurora now demands my song.
Wheatley begins by summoning the Nine Muses from Greek mythology to inspire her creative process. She yearns to craft poetry that flows effortlessly, with a harmonious and regular rhythm, in tribute to Aurora, the goddess of dawn, who rightly merits such lyrical homage.
Aurora hail, and all the thousand dies,
Which deck thy progress through the vaulted skies:
The morn awakes, and wide extends her rays,
On ev’ry leaf the gentle zephyr plays;
In this stanza, Wheatley directly addresses Aurora and the myriad colors or ‘dies’ that trace the path of the morning sun across the heavens. The arrival of dawn is depicted as a waking moment, with the sun’s eye opening as if from slumber, casting its light far and wide. Simultaneously, the gentle west wind, known as Zephyrus, caresses every leaf, bringing the landscape to life.
Harmonious lays the feather’d race resume,
Dart the bright eye, and shake the painted plume.
Here, ‘harmonious lays’ refer to the pleasant and melodious songs of birds, which return with the dawn, as they shake their vibrant feathers, contributing to the joyous dawn chorus.
Ye shady groves, your verdant gloom display
To shield your poet from the burning day:
Calliope awake the sacred lyre,
While thy fair sisters fan the pleasing fire:
Wheatley calls upon the lush groves of trees to provide shelter from the sun’s intense heat. Additionally, she invokes Calliope, the Muse associated with epic poetry, urging her to bring forth her lyre, while the other Muses encourage the sun’s ‘fire’ to spread gently.
The bow’rs, the gales, the variegated skies
In all their pleasures in my bosom rise.
See in the east th’ illustrious king of day!
His rising radiance drives the shades away—
All the joys of nature swell in the poet’s heart. The sun, likened to the ‘king of day,’ ascends in the east, dispelling the shadows of night. Yet, Wheatley soon expresses a moment of lament:
But Oh! I feel his fervid beams too strong,
And scarce begun, concludes th’ abortive song.
In an ironic twist, she finds herself cutting her poem short, as the intense heat of the sun’s rays becomes overwhelming.
Analysis
‘A Hymn to the Morning,’ like much of Phillis Wheatley’s work, can be aligned with the principles of Augustan poetry. This eighteenth-century verse style drew inspiration from the era of the Roman Emperor Augustus, echoing its stylistic traits and thematic concerns. Such poetry emphasizes order and balance, manifesting not only in the world but also within its own structure. It often carries an urbane and decorous tone, invoking figures from classical mythology, as seen with her references to the Nine Muses and Calliope in this poem.
This balance is evident in Wheatley’s dual focus on celebration and lamentation: while the sun’s rays dispel the ‘shades’ of darkness, they also create new shadows, reminding us of the complexity of nature. Although this poem is a song of praise— a paean to the morning— it carries a note of caution, revealing the poet’s awareness of the sun’s scorching intensity.
Form
The poem is structured in heroic couplets, which consist of rhyming pairs of lines written in iambic pentameter. This form was favored by neoclassical or Augustan poets during the eighteenth century, as it was the preferred vehicle for translating classical epics into English verse.
About Phillis Wheatley
Wheatley gained her freedom shortly after the publication of Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, which included a preface signed by several prominent American figures, including John Hancock, who would later become known for his bold signature on the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Wheatley famously met George Washington and even penned a poem in his honor. Born around 1753, she likely wrote ‘A Hymn to the Morning’ at the young age of twenty or perhaps even while still in her teens. The poem exemplifies her extraordinary talent for emulating neoclassical and Augustan models, skillfully employing the poetic conventions of her time in a fresh and striking manner.