She repeated three primary elements: Christianity, classicism and hierophantic solar worship.Shields, "Phillis Wheatley's Use of Classicism" , American Literature 52.1 (1980), p. 103. The hierophantic solar worship was part of what she brought with her from Africa; the worship of sun gods is expressed as part of her African culture, which may be why she used so many different words for the sun. For instance, she uses Aurora eight times, "Apollo seven, Phoebus twelve, and Sol twice." Shields believes that the word "light" is significant to her as it marks her African history, a past that she has left physically behind. He notes that Sun is a homonym for Son, and that Wheatley intended a double reference to Christ. Wheatley also refers to "heav'nly muse" in two of her poems: "To a Clergy Man on the Death of his Lady" and "Isaiah LXIII," signifying her idea of the Christian deity.Shields, "Phillis Wheatley's Use of Classicism" , American Literature 52.1 (1980), p. 102.
She repeated three primary elements: Christianity, classicism and hierophantic solar worship.Shields, "Phillis Wheatley's Use of Classicism" , American Literature 52.1 (1980), p. 103. The hierophantic solar worship was part of what she brought with her from Africa; the worship of sun gods is expressed as part of her African culture, which may be why she used so many different words for the sun. For instance, she uses Aurora eight times, "Apollo seven, Phoebus twelve, and Sol twice." Shields believes that the word "light" is significant to her as it marks her African history, a past that she has left physically behind. He notes that Sun is a homonym for Son and that Wheatley intended a double reference to Christ. Wheatley also refers to "heav'nly muse" in two of her poems: "To a Clergy Man on the Death of his Lady" and "Isaiah LXIII," signifying her idea of the Christian deity.Shields, "Phillis Wheatley's Use of Classicism" , American Literature 52.1 (1980), p. 102.