Wheatley begins her eight-line block poem with "'It was mercy that brought me from my heathen land,'" signifying how much of a blessing it is to be brought from Africa through the compassion of Almighty God. Her use of imagery directly relates to her experience as a slave where her skin was “black as Cain,” representing how belittled this woman's race is. The poem creates an imagery of light and darkness, being grateful to have been introduced to Christianity in the knowledge that everything works in her favor. The recognition is demonstrated in line 2 where it is mentioned that his "darkened soul" has been saved from sin and evil, signifying that there is a God who watches over his struggles against darkness and ignorance, and his strength is more powerful than human strength. The darkness that comes from not knowing God as a personal savior is not permanent; if all races are equal in Heaven then they should be equal on earth too. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayAmerica, the land of the free, of the non-pagans, capable of erasing the darkness, is compared to Africa. Africa is Wheatley's pagan land, where people live in houses made of mud, hospitals are far away, and children must travel long distances to fetch water for their families. If needs such as that of a teacher or farmer are not met, food is expensive and it becomes difficult to survive. HIV/AIDS occurs prominently because sex is used as an activity due to lack of electricity or other forms of entertainment, plus further ignorance filled in every direction. He talks little about the journey from Africa, but it is not that important because he sees it as his door or begins to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Throughout Wheatley's poem, “On Being Brought from Africa to America,” there are many depictions of physical and spiritual darkness. When the speaker is in Africa, or in a pagan land as you refer to it, his soul is not purified. It seems that Wheatley has aged; she remains hidden from religion until the mercy comes upon her to come to America. With an eagerness to be creative, Wheatley learns to read and write, breaking barriers as a poet. Coming to America is like an “American dream,” so for Wheatley, writing represents a form of fulfillment to feel free rather than an obligation as a slave. If bystanders witness this situation, they will notice that though.” . . Negros, black like Cain”, Cain is protected by God as well as the darkness of the slavers who pretend not to know the Lord. They too are protected regardless of their wrong doings. Even if she is, the devastating slavery acts as a reset to help her beliefs after being taken from Africa by someone else's will. There was a reason the speaker never spoke ill of the slavery system. She understands that she was put there for a reason, in the right place and at the right time. Phillis Wheatley longs for redemption throughout the poem where America is understood as the place of liberation but just like everything else in life, there are obstacles that appear to be discrimination. Blacks describe behavior like Cain, the first murderer in the Christian faith who killed his brother Abel and was “marked.” Whites believe that African Americans are children of Cain's curse and not of God, which in turn offers the belief that they are treating them less than they are. The message “. . . be refined and join the angelic train” affects our decision as Christians when Wheatley. 422.