Thank You “An HYMN to HUMANITY” written by Phillis Wheatley, depicts the speaker - seemingly Wheatley – employing both Christian and Classical conventions in order to illustrate the Goodness of God and Humanity, as well as to portray the speaker’s immense appreciation for them. The first stanza describes the departure of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, from the immaculate heaven, the “azure-paved hall,” and his arrival to the “dark terrestrial ball” that is earth (1, 3). The speaker juxtaposes the gloomy earth with the beauty of Heaven to add marvel to the imagery of Jesus coming down from such perfection to a place so far beneath his being. Following this descent, in the second stanza the speaker appreciatively writes that Jesus looked upon earth “with wonder and delight.. And fixed his empire there,” encapsulating Jesus’ loving claim over earth and all of its people (9).…show more content… The speaker communicates the mission Jesus had in coming to earth, which was to “succor man’s afflicted son” and to “enlarge the close contracted mind, and fill it with fire” (14, 17, 18). The speaker paints the picture of Jesus going from “star to star” leaving “the bright abode” behind him (20, 21). His glory imparts Virtue on the earth, and raptures its heart (22, 23, 24). This rapturing leaves the earth in a much better place. The speaker may even have wanted to subtly remind the world that God meant for minds and hearts to be opened, and for people to live in harmony with one another so that the earth reaches a higher level of glory, and that slavery does not fit into that