A Review of the Works of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Frances E. W. Harper was a speaker, writer and abolitionist during the nineteenth century, whose works are worthy of examination and study in the classroom. Born of free parents and educated, Harper advocating women's rights as well as abolition. After the war, her works continued to be political in nature as she sought to educate and enlighten the American people to the struggle and plight of black people and women. Many of her works reflected these themes. Harper is revered for her imaginative style, use of emotion an sentimentality and her eloquence. The following works, all published between1865 and 1875, are, in my opinion, among those especially worth attention.

01. "Almost Constantly Either Traveling or Speaking"

I have chosen this letter because it shows Harper's dedication to her work. It also addresses the criticism she received. However, Harper's devotion to her race drives her to continue her work despite criticism. She wants to lead her people and teach and educate those who can not help themselves.

02. "An Appeal to the American People"

I have chosen to include this poem because of the theme and tone. Like she has done in many of her other works, in this poem, Harper is rebelling against the norm for a woman and attacking an issue head on. In this poem she acknowledges the contributions of the blacks in the war. She challenges the American people to also acknowledge this by giving blacks a fair chance now that the war is over. Although the war is over, Harper continues to fight for equality in her literary works.

03. "Thank God for Little Children"

In this poem Harper addresses the relationship between mother and child. In this poem Harper is much more positive about the relationship. In her previous poems about motherhood, Harper often dealt with the pain and sorrow of forced separation between mother and child. Perhaps her change in tone occurred as a result of becoming a mother herself. She now had a personal experience other than that of the loss of her own mother.

04. "The Change"