Preaching the Gospel of Black Revolt: Appropriating Milton in Early African American Literature

Title page, Editor page, Copyright, Dedication

Preaching the Gospel of Black Revolt Medieval & Renaissance Literary Studies General Editor Rebecca Totaro Editorial Board Judith H. Anderson Jonathan Gil Harris Diana Treviño Benet Margaret Healy William C. Carroll Ken Hiltner Donald Cheney Arthur F. Kinney Ann Baynes Coiro David Loewenstein Mary T. Crane Robert W. Maslen Stephen B. Dobranski Thomas P. Roche Jr. Wendy Furman-Adams Mary Beth Rose A. C. Hamilton Mihoko Suzuki Hannibal Hamlin Humphrey Tonkin Margaret P. Hannay Susanne Woods Originally titled the Duquesne Studies: Philological Series (and later renamed the Language & Literature Series), the Medieval & Renaissance Literary Studies Series has been published by Duquesne University Press since 1960. This publishing endeavor seeks to promote the study of late medieval, Renaissance, and seventeenth century English literature by presenting scholarly and critical monographs, collections of essays, editions, and compilations. The series encourages a broad range of interpretation, including the relationship of literature and its cultural contexts, close textual analysis, and the use of contemporary critical methodologies. Foster Provost Editor, 1960–1984 Albert C. Labriola Editor, 1985–2009 Richard J. DuRocher Editor, 2010 DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY PRESS Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF BLACK REVOLT REGINALD A. WILBURN APPROPRIATING MILTON IN EARLY AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE Copyright © 2014 Duquesne University Press All rights reserved Published in the United States of America by Duquesne university Press 600 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15282 No part of this book may be used or reproduced, in any manner or form whatsoever , without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of short quotations in critical articles or reviews. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wilburn, Reginald A., 1966– Preaching the gospel of black revolt : appropriating Milton in early African American literature / Reginald A. Wilburn. pages cm Summary: “In this comparative and hybrid study, Wilburn examines the presence and influence of John Milton in a diverse array of early African American writing such as Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Anna Julia Cooper, Sutton E. Griggs, and others”—Provided by publisher. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8207-0471-5 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. American literature—African American authors—History and criticism. 2. American literature—18th century—History and criticism 3. American literature—19th century—History and criticism 4. Milton, John, 1608– 1674—Influence. I. Title. PS153.N5W458 2014 810.9'896073—dc23 2013039610 eISBN 978-0-8207-0597-2 An earlier version of the epilogue was previously published in Laura Lunger Knoppers and Gregory Colón Semenza, eds., Milton in Popular Culture, 2006, Palgrave Macmillan, reproduced with permission of Palgrave Macmillan, www.palgrave.com. In memory of Warren Harding Dicks, Emma Penn, James A. Wilburn, and Dr. Andress Taylor Dedicated to Anna Mixon Dicks and Shirley A. Bess With special gratitude to the first generation of literary scholars in African American Studies who gave us a tradition to study, cherish, and uphold ...