The neoclassical movement began in Rome in the 1800s, especially owing to the rediscovery of the ruins at Pompeii. The movement—which laterally spanned across architecture, literature, and art—found inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman works. Consequently, neoclassical works are characterized by an importance on tight aesthetic control and rigid inherited forms, which conjured the wonder of ancient artistic styles. Although Wheatley was widely read and influenced by many classical poets, Alexander Pope was thought to have been one of the strongest influences on her work.

Pope was a landmark among early 18th-century poets. The period during which he was producing poetry is interchangeably referred to as the Augustan age or Age of Pope (1700-1744) for the renown and wide influence his work affected. Pope was known for his mastery of heroic couplets and strong sense of both satire and political justice. Pope’s works fell out of popularity with the rise of romantics-era literature (1790-1850), which signaled a turn away from the high-formalism of the neoclassical movement in favor of deep emotional authenticity, independence, and focus on imagistic meditations of nature.

In “To His Excellency General Washington” Wheatley’s poem draws on the metrical power of Pope’s heroic

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