The poem mourns the loss of a young man who died suddenly and unexpectedly. It expresses sorrow and regret over his untimely death, lamenting the loss of potential and promise that he represented. The speaker reflects on the transience of life and the inevitability of mortality, acknowledging that even the young and vibrant are not immune to fate's cruel hand.
By Phillis Wheatley · First published 1773 · Genre: Elegy, Lyric Poetry, Religious Poetry