Answer:
“On Being Brought from Africa”
Paradox in the first stanza:
Phillis described her enslavement as a means of her salvation. Thus, she was brought to America so that her soul could be saved. Those who enslaved her, saved her. This ordinarily sounds difficult to understand and contradictory. How can somebody who kill you make you alive? This is a paradox which can only be appreciated in the light of the Christian gospel. Christ died and rose again from the dead. Because He has risen, He is able to save those who die in sin.
This is the central message of Phillis' poem titled "On Being Brought from Africa." In her own words:
"Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. "
Evil was turned to good in her life. She was not complaining against her enslavement or being removed from her African root, friends, and family. She eulogized God who has the ultimate power to bring about good from evil. Though, she was not praising evil, she knew and therefore, understood, and greatly benefited from the evil done to her, and even appreciated those who did her evil for doing her good.
This should be the attitude of all Africans, including African Americans, and this should be how they must view their past. Slavery was a condemnable evil. But, God has turned it to good. Africans should stop lamenting their past enslavement. They should henceforth make themselves free and live in freedom. They should not retreat to their past. The past is history. It is not the future of Africa. They should appreciate that, though, enslavery derived them of temporary freedom, it has brought lasting freedom. Freedom is only achieved in Christ Jesus, in walking the talk, and not in blaming the past or past actors. Olaudah Equiano bought his freedom within three years. For more than 50 years now, Africans have been in charge of their governments and their borders, but what have they achieved with the leadership? They are still leading the people back to slavery in so many absurd ways.
Explanation:
Phillis Wheatley wrote "On Being Brought from Africa" in 1773. She is recognized as the first African American woman to publish a book in English.
The paradox is that black people are seen as sinful beings, even if they accept and practice Christian concepts and doctrines.
We can arrive at this answer because:
In this case, we can see that the paradox in this poem shows that even Christians, blacks are seen as beings turned to sin.
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