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The puritans american literature
Influence of puritans in american literature
Influence of puritans in american literature
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Anne Bradstreet mostly wrote about everyday life while making it seem remarkable. Being a Puritan woman, Anne Bradstreet had trouble writing poetry in colonial society. She was expected to behave as a normal Puritan woman who should stay at home and be a housewife. However, she did
Anne Bradstreet and William Bradford’s constant references to God’s greatness reveal
Jonathan Edwards’s sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” and Anne Bradstreet’s “Upon the Burning of Our House” seem at first glance quite similar to one another regarding context, however, after taking a closer look, it becomes apparent that there are some substantial differences. These differences cannot be understood without the knowledge of cultural context concerning the Puritan belief system and their lifestyle. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” was written with the sole purpose of scaring and intimidating the people that purtinans believed to be sinners. Edwards’s work contributed to a movement called “The Great Awakening”. It’s objective was to make the so-called ‘sinners’ aware of their wrongdoings and compel them to repent.
Bradstreet was a Puritan living in Salem in the 17th century; trying to live as a christian should because at the time it was the only way to secure a place in heaven. Having faith in God was an important issue in these times because there was not a lot of scientific explantations for why things happened so it was a way of coping. There is a passage in A New England Tale “ make the bible your counselor; you will always find some good word there, that will be a bright light to you in the darkest nights; and do not forget the daily sacrifice of prayer…”(18). In this passage Mary is giving Jane advice, saying that she should turn to the bible when she needs guidance and also to help her cope with the loss of her mother, moving out of her family home, and being a servant for her Aunt Wilson. Jane never lost faith and always had a hope things would improve and was able to treat others kindly even when they were unkind to her.
Their strong religious values aided them in the survival of the struggle they experienced during their lives. They were two different women with similar struggles but with different situations. Although Mary Rowlandson and Anne Bradstreet both had unique struggles, both women were able to overcome their difficulties through similar faiths. Mary Rowlandson was a woman that relied on God. Rowlandson is comforted in her “low estate” by Biblical passages that [take] hold of her heart” and enable her to survive (Mary Rowlanson’s Captivity and the Place of the Woman’s Subject).
During Bradstreet’s time, society was dominated by men who felt superior to women. Men did not believe that women had any intellectual or spiritual value to add to the society. Anne uses irony by belittling herself and her work, but when the reader digs deeper they learn she is also showing her intelligence and writing ability by alluding to the Greek culture and male “superior” poets. In the opening stanza, Bradstreet states it would be almost laughable for her to even attempt to right of her superiors, which leads the reader to believe this poem is just about Anne being critical of herself. Anne uses this sarcasm and irony technique to state that women deserve the recognition that men receive for the same action in a manner full of
God Gives Us Free Will Jonathan Edwards preaches that if people follow God and obey him they will experience his great mercy. “Sinners in The Hands of an Angry God,” he explains this concept in his sermon. Most people back in 1741 and to this day would be persuaded by his sermon about the Lord because of how passionately and strongly he spoke about his beliefs’. In this sermon Edwards refers to Gods everlasting wrath. He describes Gods anger towards those who do not follow and believe in Him.
Both Bradstreet and Edwards are puritan writers, they are both believe in a higher more powerful God. In their writings “Upon the Burning of Our House”, by Anne Bradstreet and “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, by Jonathan Edwards they both talk about the higher being of God. They both are powerful writers and have a way of getting their points across, but they do it differently. They are both great writers and even though they have different religious views and different writing styles both of their poems, “Upon the Burning of Our House” by Anne Bradstreet and “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards, have the same goal of converting people.
In this essay, I will analyze the poem Verses Upon the Burning of Our House (July 10th, 1666) by Anne Bradstreet, a puritan who most critics consider to be America’s first “authentic poet. The poem is based on a true story as Anne’s house really did burn down and illustrates her meditations on this event, the pain she felt after losing her home and the effect it had on her faith. The main theme is Anne’s struggle to not become attached to material things. I will begin by explaining the rhyme, style, and tone of the poem, continue by explaining which literary devices and interesting features we can find and the effect they have on the reader, then I will analyze the poem and finally I will give a brief conclusion. Verses Upon the Burning of Our House is a poem written in couplets in iambic tetrameter scheme which makes the story flow nicely.
Preeminence in all and each is yours; Yet grant some small acknowledgment of ours. (Bradstreet 209) The passage above declares the male 's roles in the Puritan culture and that women like Bradstreet comprehend that. On the other hand, Anne Bradstreet needs praise, a little thankfulness, and acknowledgment for the work and role women play in the public eye. Subsequent to deriding men in the poem, she recognizes and gives them commending praise yet requests the same in return.
In the 1947 the Cold War started with it brought the policies. During the Cold War we had many policies. Most were foreign policies as well as many American policies. With the breakup of the Soviet Union into separate nations, and the re-emergence of the nation of Russia, the world of pro-U.S. and pro-Soviet alliances broke down.(Bodden 12) Different challenges presented themselves, such as climate change and the threat of nuclear terrorism. Thus bringing us to the policies that were made.
The value of earthly treasures versus eternal treasures is a key theme in Anne Bradstreet’s “Upon the Burning of Our House.” Throughout the poem, Bradstreet uses the following three examples to discover her feelings about losing her earthly treasures in the house fire and moving toward eternal treasures: her earthly possessions, her position in society, and her ultimate choice to focus on eternity. Anne Bradstreet is a woman who was the first English colonial poet. while she resided in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. She wrote this poem around July of 1666 to describe the event of her home burning to the ground.
Theses writings were for personal use and despite their wishes were eventually published. Because of this, their writings showed true emotion and not that for entertainment or religious persuasion. Once released to the public their experiences were valued and passed on for generations to come. There was many simulates in the works of Anne Bradstreet and Mary Rowlandson’s describing signs from God to appreciate the nature, family and most importunely to put God first. Because of these signs and resulting tragedies, Anne Bradstreet and Mary Rowlandson had a very positive outlook on life and inspired many to follow and appreciate the simple things in life.
Puritans are a people with a very strong belief in both God and the power of God. When people see power, they interpret it in different ways. Some know of power through anger and impulse, while others see power through the goodness the powerful one shows. Although Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards are both puritan poets, their writings convey mainly different, though sometimes similar, views on God because they have different perceptions of His will and the use of His power. Anne Bradstreet listens to and accepts anything that God wishes, and that is shown through her poem Upon the Burning of my House.
In the poems “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “Upon the Burning of Our House” the author Anne Bradstreet allows the reader a glimpse of what she values. The two poems are alike because they both explore her religion and show her love for God. In these two poems they let you get a glimpse of the way she looked at things and saw the good side of everything. For example, in “ To My Dear and Loving Husband” it says “ if ever a man were loved by wife, then thee; if ever wife was happy in man,”.
