Phillis Wheatley: Black or White Poet? Phillis Wheatley was brought from Africa to America to be put into slavery. She was more privileged than other slaves because her owners taught her to read and write. Showing early signs of remarkable intelligence, her owners, the Wheatleys, fostered her talent by tutoring her regularly. Phillis took to writing poetry, which led her to become the first black woman poet in the United States. She was a genius of her time. Her poems mainly focus on the themes of nature and religion. As a result, blacks and whites alike have criticized her for failing to refer to the plight of her race. In general, critics do not deny that sh