In the following, the author wants to explore in what way the poem "Slavery, A Poem" by Hannah More serves abolitionist means.
A quote of Hannah More (1745 - 1833) in a letter to her sister states: “I grieve I did not set about it sooner; as it must now be done in such a hurry… but, good or bad, if it does not come out at the particular moment when the discussion comes on in Parliament, it will not be worth a straw.” (Feldman, 1997, p. 470) This statement is referring to her poem “Slavery, A Poem.” that she wrote in 1788. Reading this quotation one can act on the assumption that the poem and its time of publication served a specific purpose. Knowing that Hannah More was an active member of the British abolitionism and knowing that she wrote the poem for this very reason; we can come to the following study question: In what way is the typical British abolitionism represented in Hannah Mores poem?
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Hannah More and the British Abolitionism
3. “Slavery, A Poem” and the British Abolitionism
3.1. Abolitionist arguments in the poem
3.2. How the arguments are presented in the poem
4. Conclusion
5. Works Cited
Objectives and Research Themes
This paper examines how Hannah More’s poem "Slavery, A Poem" serves as a strategic instrument for the British abolitionist movement, analyzing the intersection of political argumentation and eighteenth-century literary sensibility.
- The role of Hannah More within the British abolitionist movement and the Clapham Sect.
- The influence of the Evangelical and Methodist background on abolitionist rhetoric.
- The connection between the emerging coffee house culture and public political discourse.
- The rhetorical strategies used in the poem to evoke sentimental responses and influence parliamentary opinion.
- The synthesis of rational political arguments and emotional, moral appeals in 18th-century poetry.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Abolitionist arguments in the poem
More opens with an invocation to liberty and with the description of a certain imbalance in nature: “IF heaven has into being deign’d to call/ Thy light, O LIBERTY! to shine on all;/ Bright intellectual Sun! Why does thy ray/ To earth distribute only partial day?” (ll.1-4). This onset can be seen as the hypothesis More tries to prove throughout the poem by political as well as abolitionist means.
For this reason she picks up a very common argument to rebut it. As slaves were not seen as humans at that time, most people had the opinion that Africans do neither feel pain nor were they callous to those in pain. More asserts that “they have heads to think, and hearts to feel” (l.67), which is furthermore one of the abolitionists’ main arguments. It clearly states that all mankind can feel and the right of freedom cannot be applied to only one group of people and thus, she gives a voice to one of the biggest disputes of the members of the coffee house culture. Her argumentation gains strength from other established works about slavery, of which the story of “Oroonoko” might be the most prominent one.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the research question regarding how British abolitionism is represented in Hannah More’s poetry and outlines the methodological approach.
2. Hannah More and the British Abolitionism: This section details More’s biography, her conversion to Evangelicalism, and her active participation in the anti-slavery movement alongside figures like William Wilberforce.
3. “Slavery, A Poem” and the British Abolitionism: This chapter analyzes the poem as a political, argumentative production written to support the parliamentary campaign against the slave trade.
3.1. Abolitionist arguments in the poem: This sub-chapter explores the core arguments of the poem, including the shared humanity of Africans and the condemnation of Christian hypocrisy.
3.2. How the arguments are presented in the poem: This sub-chapter examines the rhetorical use of sensibility, sentimental indicators, and the mix of concrete and abstract language to influence public opinion.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes how More successfully combined emotional and political arguments to create a distinctive piece of abolitionist literature.
5. Works Cited: This section lists the academic secondary literature and primary historical sources utilized for the analysis.
Keywords
Hannah More, British Abolitionism, Slavery A Poem, William Wilberforce, Clapham Sect, Sensibility, Sentimentality, Eighteenth-century poetry, Political literature, Evangelicalism, Coffee house culture, Human rights, Christian hypocrisy, Abolitionist rhetoric, Parliamentary campaign
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the representation of British abolitionist ideals within Hannah More’s 1788 poem "Slavery, A Poem," specifically looking at how she uses poetry to support political goals.
What are the primary themes addressed in the text?
Key themes include the moral critique of the slave trade, the concept of universal human feeling, the impact of the Evangelical movement, and the strategic use of political poetry.
What is the main research question?
The primary question asks in what way the typical British abolitionist arguments and sentiments are represented within Hannah More’s poem.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author employs a literary analysis that combines historical context—specifically the social and religious atmosphere of the time—with a close reading of the poem's rhetoric and argumentative structure.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body examines More’s background, the political origin of the poem, specific arguments used in the text, and the stylistic devices—such as sensibility—employed to persuade the reader.
Which keywords characterize this analysis?
The analysis is characterized by terms like abolitionism, sensibility, political poetry, Evangelicalism, and the historical context of the late eighteenth-century British parliament.
How does the poem relate to the "coffee house culture" of the 18th century?
The author explains that coffee houses functioned as vital spaces for public reasoning where political debates took place, and More’s poem was intended to influence this specific demographic of educated, politically active citizens.
What role does "sensibility" play in the poem's argument?
Sensibility is used as a rhetorical tool to show that slaves possess human emotions, thereby countering the prevailing racist view that they were immune to pain and suffering.
Why did Hannah More emphasize "Christian hypocrisy" in her writing?
More highlighted this to challenge slaveholders who claimed to be devout Christians; she argued that their actions were inherently un-Christian and directly contradicted the principles of their faith.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the poem's effectiveness?
The author concludes that despite being written quickly, the poem was highly effective because it masterfully blended political logic with emotional appeals, providing a powerful voice for the abolitionist cause in the public sphere.
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- Peggy Zawadil (Autor:in), 2012, British Abolitionism in Hannah More's "Slavery, A Poem", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/312204
