She Started Writing Poetry By The Age Of Thirteen

Phillis received an education from the Wheatley family, which was both exceptional for a woman of any race and unheard of for an enslaved person. She began reading challenging Bible verses and Greek and Latin classics in their native languages by the age of 12. Her first poem, “To the University of Cambridge [Harvard], in New England”, which she penned at the age of 13, expressed her desire for the intellectual challenge of a more academic environment despite the rich and uncommon exposure she had received as an American slave.

The Wheatley family funded Phillis's schooling since they were aware of her literary talent and delegated home duties to their other domestic slaves. Her skills were frequently displayed by the Wheatleys to friends and relatives. Phillis started writing poetry after reading the works of Alexander Pope, John Milton, Homer, Horace, and Virgil.