Which early American poet published 'Poems on Various Subjects' and was enslaved in Boston?

• A. Phillis Wheatley
• B. Ralph Waldo Emerson
• C. Nathaniel Hawthorne
• D. Anne Bradstreet

Answer: (A)

The main idea is recognizing Phillis Wheatley as the early American poet who published a book while enslaved in Boston. Wheatley, held in bondage by the Wheatley family in Boston, published Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral in 1773, a collection that showing her mastery of form and classical allusion and marking a landmark moment for African American and women’s literary history. The work is notable precisely because she was enslaved in Boston at the time, making it a remarkable achievement in early American literature. The other figures—Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Anne Bradstreet—were not enslaved in Boston, and none published that particular collection.