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Phillis WheatleyTo His Excellency General Washington
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1773A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Reading Comprehension Questions
1. Which of the following best describes the significance of the olive and laurel that Wheatley describes “bind[ing] Her [Columbia’s] golden hair” (Line 10)?
A) They symbolize art.
B) They symbolize piety.
C) They symbolize victory.
D) They symbolize fortune.
2. The lines, “One century scarce perform’d its destined round, / When Gallic powers Columbia’s fury found” alludes to which of the following (Lines 29-30)?
A) the American Revolution
B) the French and Indian War
C) the French Revolution
D) the Thirty Years War
3. Which of the following best describes how Wheatley depicts the current conflict?
A) regrettable but justified
B) minor but significant
C) revolutionary and egalitarian
D) liberatory and holy
For the following questions, write a one-sentence response based on details in the poem.
4. Who or what is “Columbia”?
5. What does the poem liken the clash of armies to in Lines 14-18?
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