Hammon was the first black poet whose work were published for the first time in the United States. It is contrary to the popular beliefs. He is known famously as the writer of the poem An Evening Thought alongside other works such as Penitential Cries and Salvation by Christ (Poetry Foundation). The majority of his creative works communicates Christian subjects and maintains a strategic distance from meeting with the slaveholding class that oversaw Hammon's life. Despite the fact that he is moderately renowned, Hammon is an imperative and the first dark American poem creator to show up in print. All the themes of his works are regarded as the trailblazers of Negro spirituals and adversary conversations. Hammon's date of birth is accepted to be 11th October 1711. However, numerous sources reveal his birthday to be 1721, ten years after the real birthday (Poetry Foundation). .
He was conceived and brought up as a slave in the home of Henry Lloyd, who lived in Long Island and Hammon served the Lloyd and his family for three eras. As a family unit slave, Hammon was given numerous benefits that other slaves could not access. For example, he went to elementary school with Lloyd's youngsters and figured out how to peruse and compose poetic works. Hammon purchased a Bible from Lloyd in 1933 and commenced the religious studies that enormously affected the composition and themes of his poems. Hammon's lyrics was issued on broadsides, extensive sheets of paper with print on one side just. He distributed four sonnets in the same way with his assets and the monetary help of his proprietors. Hammon's first ballad, An Evening Thought, showed up in 1761 (Poetry Foundation). .
An Evening Thought is a poem whose theme revolve around themes such as Christianity as a religion, God. Faith and doubt. It is the first Negro poem to be published in America (Poetry Foundation). The poem is honorable for its gravity and excellence additionally outstanding for components of American minority writing.