An Evening Thought by Jupiter Harmon
One of the most exciting poems that form the contemporary African American literature is “An Evening Thought” by Jupiter Harmon. In this artwork, Harmon focuses on the structure of religion and slavery that was ubiquitous. As highlighted by the poem’s title, Salvation by Jesus Christ forms a significant theme throughout the artwork. Jupiter Harmon made a repetition of the word Salvation 23 times within a poem of 88 lines. Besides, he is so optimistic that he uses the word Salvation, thus making the poem flow. For instance, in the first line of stanza one, he says, “Salvation comes by Jesus Christ alone,” indicating that only Jesus is the one who can rescue humankind from their misdemeanors.
Also, “An Evening Thought” depicts salvation as the only source of hope after a long struggle. In the last two lines of the last stanza, the poet says, “Salvation give, with tender Love; Let us with Angels share,” implying that salvation is the only thing that can enable us to inherit the heavenly wealth. The most exciting part is when the poet says, “Ten Thousand Angels cry to Thee,” which seems too paradoxical since Engels are regarded to be pure and have nothing to confess. However, the stanza draws salvation as a form of relief from those seeking it, bringing a close link between the struggle for freedom and eternal life.
Against the set principles, Jupiter Harmon was the first African American poem printed for literature. The poem “An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ, with Penitential Cries” was published in 1761. The central theme revolves around Christianity and the quest for salvation rather than the struggle for slave masters’ freedom. Even though he was unpopular, Harmon’s artwork became vital since he was the first African American whose publication champion abolished slavery and the dialogue Christianity among the Negroid race.
In the first stanza, Harmon acknowledges that Jesus is the only road to salvation. The message that comes out clearly in this stanza is the affirmation of Hammon’s religion. However, the focus changes from the commitment of his faith to acknowledging God’s greatness and His perfect plans for us. in the fifth stanza, Hammon shifts his focus from believing God’s greatness and His excellent plans to the confession of sins. And in the last three stanzas, he shifts his focus from confession to reunion with the divine creator. In the second last stanza, Hammon says, “Our Hearts and Souls do meet again, to magnify thy Name,” showing that the poet had established his faith with God and has no doubt that his relationship with God is good. However, his message to the audience is symbolic because he is auctioning the readers to fly to Jesus. In the sixth stanza, the poet says, “Dear Jesus unto Thee we fly, ” something not practical. Also, he says, Awake ye, every Nation”, which sounds like a command to the audience auctioning them to keep the nation vigilant.
Besides, Hammon made good use of personification by giving the holy spirit characters of a human being. He says, “Come holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove,” implying that the invisible holy spirit can follow human path leaving behind footmarks. However, by using personification, Hammon wants us to see the possibility of getting relieved from the bondage. Therefore, I consider “An Evening Thought” as an overture—an overture to the new salvation, hope, confession, and release from captivity.