American independence was achieved through the unification of the colonists against the British crown. This unit required cooperation between the colonies and support for the newly formed Continental Army. George Washington was the general of the Continental Army and was expected to meet the expectations of the colonists who looked forward to freedom. To encourage the general in his efforts, the poet Phillis Wheatley wrote “To His Excellency General Washington.” By using literary devices in the poem, Wheatley promotes the merit of the American Revolution. Using allusion, Wheatley highlights the value of the American Revolution. Wheatley achieves this by alluding to figures from mythology and describing their attributes. The poet was familiar with such allusions because of their prevalence in the literature of her times. Because of this exposure, literary critic Anne Applegate notes that Wheatley's poetry is “…full of scattered references to classical Greek and Roman figures, both literary and mythological…(124) which he uses to express his thoughts . Consequently, Wheatley uses mythological allusions to highlight the value of the American rebellion in “To His Excellency General Washington.” For example, when describing the Continental Army, the poet states that the movement of the soldiers is: "As when Aeolus's fair face warps, wrapped in tempest and stormy night" (Wheatley, lines 15-16 ). Aeolus is the god of the winds in classical mythology, and Wheatley uses this allusion to note that, similar to a mighty god rolling across the earth, the Continental Army will overwhelm the British forces in their attempt to thwart America's sovereignty. The effect of Wheatley's allusion works to elevate the American Revolution to a level t......middle of paper......uses of the poem, the work elevates the war to a providential event. Furthermore, Wheatley's diction presents the movement as elegant and full of merit due to the nature of its politeness. Finally, the poem's rhyme scheme places the revolution with other venerable battles that have been recounted in poetic form. “To His Excellency General Washington” was written to inspire a man to realize the dreams of a nation, but the poem had the secondary effect of being a form of propaganda for the newly formed American republic. Works Cited Applegate, Anne. “Philllis Wheatley: Her Critics and Contributions.” Negro American Literature Forum 9.4 (1975): 123-136. JStor Database. Network. July 29, 2011.Wheatley, Phillis. "To His Excellency General Washington." Anthology of American literature. Ed. George McMichael and James S. Leonard. Boston: Longman, 2011. 610-611. Press.