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Puritan society in america
Jonathan Edwardw and Sinners in the hands of an angry God
Puritan society in america
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Just like any two authors, Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards have many distinctly different qualities to them, however they also have many similarities. Both of the authors are prominent writers from the Puritan church in Colonial America. Bradstreet wrote many pieces of literature including The Burning of our House, July 10, 1666 and To my Dear and Loving Husband. Edwards wrote many sermons including Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards’s literary pieces are similar due to their religion, but their writing styles varies greatly.
Jonathon Edwards is another great writer with similar influences as William Bradford and John Winthrop. Bradford and Winthrop writings were influenced through the old beliefs under the Puritan religion such as God is supreme, and nature is evil. However, Edward’s beliefs stem from the Puritan religion, the beliefs and writings are of new beliefs under the Enlightened thought. Edwards, though born in the new world, was well known for his fire and brimstone preaching. He became known as the nature of God preacher because he believed God is revealed in nature and is knowable through reason and natural laws.
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 Phillis Wheatley are two of the most important early American poets. Bradstreet was the first published American poet and Wheatley is considered to have begun the black American literary tradition (Norton, 110, 403). Both of these incredible women made enormous strides for the development of American literature at a time when it was difficult for women to be taken seriously as authors, and it is striking to notice the similarities between their individual styles. For example, both writers use descriptions of nature in conjunction with their reflections on religion.
Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards were both strong Puritan believers, but they had different interpretations of faith. Bradstreet moved from England to America and she had to endure many hardships, so her faith and writing poetry helped her through those hard times. She was the first American poet and one of her most famous writings is, The Burning of Our House. Likewise, Edwards also moved from England to America.
Although they lead different lifestyles, Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley both deal differently with death in Before the Birth of One of Her Children and To a Gentleman… the latter in a way that is more optimistic than the former. Many similarities are present throughout the writings of the two poets when it comes to the way they speak of death and how to cope with it. Both poets acknowledge their christian beliefs in saying that God holds all power when it comes to death and we, humans, are powerless in that domain. When talking about the fragile subject of death, Bradstreet says, “No ties so strong, no friends so dear and sweet,/ But with death’s parting blow is sure to meet./ The sentence past is most irrevocable,/
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.
Although Catharine Sedgwick and Anne Bradstreet lived about two centuries apart I found that Sedgwick mirrored some of the same themes that Bradstreet had in her literary works. They both discussed religion,sickness,family values, and also feminism frequently. One similarity between Sedgwick and Bradstreet was that they were both pious women. Sedgwick a calvinist and Bradstreet a Puritan. Sedgwick mentions a few different religions in her novel: Calvinists, Methodists, and Quakers.
During the Puritan times gender roles in the society were very anti-feminist. Women were required to act as housewives and do womanly duties such as cook, clean, and take care of their children. Women had very little freedom as far as their rights were concerned also. Puritan writers, Anne Bradstreet and Mary Rowlandson both experienced the struggle of the anti-feminist movement. From their writings we see that they both were against anti-feminism and they tried their best to abandon the whole idea.
During the Puritan times gender roles in the society were very anti-feminist. Women were required to act as housewives and do womanly duties such as cook, clean, and take care of their children. Women had very little freedom as far as their rights were concerned also. Puritan writers, Anne Bradstreet and Mary Rowlandson both experienced the struggle of the anti-feminist movement. From their writings we see that they both were against anti-feminism and they tried their best to abandon the whole idea.
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.
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,”.
Charlotte, being twenty-seven was more advanced in years than Elizabeth, who was only twenty years old. Being older than Elizabeth, Charlotte was more mature which enabled her to make decisions with sound judgement and discretion in regards to her future. Within Elizabeth's and Charlotte's families there were some contrasts. Elizabeth and Charlotte held different positions in their families.
