Puritans strongly establish God into their writing to bring their readers closer to Him but with very different aspects of it. Anne Bradstreet shows her writing style through more personal poems from a female perspective in the 1600s. Jonathan Edwards writing style was influential, such as sermons, from the 1700s. These writers have almost complete opposite writing styles and religious views. Bradstreet’s writing style describes God’s love for those to whom believe in him and in the form of personal poems, as Edwards’ sermons are ways to influence people to become converted to avoid God’s wrath. Bradstreet wanted to bring more people to God in a calm and peaceful way. In the poem, “To My Dear and Loving Husband,” Bradstreet says, “That …show more content…
She is trying to lead people to God by explaining that you will have another life once the one you life on earth is over. In contrast to Bradstreet’s beliefs, Edwards extreme viewpoints portray that God is angry at those who are not converted but also merciful. From Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” he says, “And there is no other reason to be given, why have you not dropped into hell since you arose in the morning, but that God’s hand has held you,” page ( ). Edwards demonstrates through this quote that God has helped you and have you shown you mercy by not sending you to hell yet although you are unconverted and still remain a sinner. His goal was to be influential through his sermons, but he endlessly …show more content…
Bradstreet describes God as a loving, selfless and helpful being. From the poem, “Verses upon the Burning of our House,” Bradstreet states in the last two lines, “The world no longer let me love / My hope and treasure lies above.” She it makes evident that her only happiness is heaven, the place that “Lies above,” because that is where God is. Not only does she mention that the place above is a good place to be but she never mentions the fiery hell that Edwards’ perpetually speaks about. Edwards’ religious views on God is that he is angry at those who are unconverted and that he is almighty and could send you to hell at any moment. In the sermon Edwards’ explains, “Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering, and there are innumerable places in this covering so weak that they will not be able to bear your weight,” page ( ). Edwards’ demonstrates his religious views through this quote by explaining God is wrathful and is angry with those who are unconverted. Throughout Edwards’ entire sermon it is just ongoing explanations on how if you are unconverted you should convert because if you don’t you will be in an everlasting pain in hell just because God can do so. Bradstreet shows her religious views of God through her love for Him, contrasted to Edwards’ thoughts of him being an angry
Edwards does however lighten the tone at the conclusion of the sermon by explaining how the people c...
He first uses this effect when he says, “ if God should let you go, you would sink… and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence and best contrivance, and all your righteousness,” (1). Edwards continuously uses the word “and” multiple times to emphasize to his audience that they will not only lose their health but everything else that they possess. This gives his listeners the sense of hopelessness by basically informing them that they will have absolutely nothing once they enter the depths of the agony inducing Hell. Not only does he say that they will have nothing in Hell but pain, he also says, “ The wrath of God is like great waters… they increase more and more and rise higher and higher… more and more mighty… the fiery floods of fierceness… would rush forth with inconceivable fury,” (2). The use of a continuously increase of water that would inevitably drown one’s self enforces the sense of powerlessness. This helplessness would then add more terror to Edwards’ message of how one must save themselves through active participation in faith in God otherwise they will fall into the a pit of Hell with no help or hope possible to
Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan and wrote her religious faith about God. When Bradstreet was used to the Puritan culture she felt like God didn’t guide her through her struggles and she started to questioned God existence and as a Puritan’s religious belief was to always accept God. The letter, “To My Dear Children” was from Bradstreet to her children about her relationship with God. The summary of the letter is Bradstreet accepted the Puritan culture when she was about sixteen years old coming to America. After she was married she started to observe God and questioned him because she felt sickness and pain and hoped God would lift her up the light on her. Bradstreet also questions her afterlife with a quote, “And could I have been in heaven without the love of God, it would had been hell to me, for in truth it is the absence and presence of God that makes heaven or hell.” This quote can be pertained in today’s world because it’s
1) Jonathan Edwards delivered this sermon during the first Great Awakening, a time of religious revival in Europe and America. During the Great Awakening, Christianity shifted its focus from ceremonies and rituals, and began to realign itself with introspection to foster a deep sense of morality and redemption. Edwards was a key preacher and minister that delivered many sermons preaching about revival and reformed theology. 2) Edwards sermon was directed towards non believers and those who have turned away from the light of God, and in his words “sinners.”
“Among all my experiences of God’s gracious dealings with me I have constantly observed this, that He hath never suffered me long to sit loose from him...” (Bradstreet 68). Anne Bradstreet is showing her devotion to God and is focusing on his love and mercy. Bradstreet found inspiration in William Shakespeare but more importantly what drove her poetry was religious beliefs. Being born into a Puritan family, Bradstreet became accustomed to Puritan behavior and had a strong belief in God. Jonathan Edwards, another strong believer in God, had the same Puritan beliefs but thought if a person shall sin they would be destined to end up in hell. Edwards is an extreme pastor and this is shown in the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The two being the ideal Puritan religion have strong opinions on viewing God
Both Bradstreet and Edwards believed in eternal life after death and they both saw life as a stage that needed to be passed through in order to get to Heaven. Both believed that God was the giver of all things good. Bradstreet rarely refers to hell but Edwards refers to it liberally. Edwards taught that bad pe...
Bradstreet also made it appoint to compare the sudden death of her grandchild to nature stating, “But plants new set to be eradicate, / And buds new blown to have so short a date, / Is by His hands alone that guides nature and fate”( lines 12-14). Conversely, Edward describes his loss of his child as a honor from God. Taylor states, “ Lord take’t. I thank Thee, Thou tak’st ought of mine: / It is my pledge in glory, part of me / Is now in it, Lord glorified with Thee” revealing his honor to have his child sitting with the lord (Edward lines 28-30). Both authors took their faith into great consideration when speaking of the loss of a family
Anne Bradstreet, Jonathan Edwards and Arthur Miller were authors of Puritan writing that all contained one major object, the Bible. Jonathan Edwards, the writer of “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” spoke of the audience being damned for not turning in the path of the Lord. The Crucible by Arthur Miller was over adultery, Witchcraft and discussed God. Anne Bradstreet’s poems, “To My Dear and Loving Husband” and “Upon the Burning of our House” discussed how worldly things do not matter, and that the love she has with her husband and her Lord are whats important. The three authors are very similar, they all speak of God and use biblical illusions in their writings and teachings, giving them all similar characteristics.
He speaks with some allusions and phrases that show the audience that he is well educated in the subject that he is speaking on. He says that, "Who knows the power of God 's anger" (Edwards 43)? This is an allusion from Psalm 90:11 in the bible and he just assumes that his readers are aware of what he is referring to when he says this. Since Edwards was a respected preacher of that time the sermon meant more to the people because of his qualifications and his experience ("Using" 14). Also throughout his sermon he refers to a happening of that time which was known as the great awakening. When speaking of this Edwards stated "Many are daily coming from the east, west, north, and south; many that were lately in the same condition that you are in, are now in a happy state, with their hearts filled with love to him who has loved them" (Edwards 44). He told them about the others who have already came and been converted to Christianity and hopes that showing them the others that have came they would also change their ways and be converted. Also, this being the time of the great awakening he wants the unconverted of his congregation to become a part of it and referencing to this event helps contribute to their
...e from her love to the world. Perhaps, she believed that in this love of her, she became God-like and God thus punishes her. Nevertheless, the presence of God in her poems is more than clear. Perhaps, it was due to religious beliefs that she though that it was wrong to feel too strong feelings to world and she considered herself to be a sinner who deserves punishment. Today, there are few followers of Bradstreet, but she, her ideas and her thoughts about sufferings still remain in modern books.
One of the most prominent themes is the idea that the devil is responsible for sin. The imagery and symbols found throughout the essay build upon this theme. When Edwards says: “You are ten thousand times more abominable in His eyes than the most hateful serpent is in ours” (26), he wants the audience to understand that by sinning, you are doing the devils work. Another theme that is present in the sermon is God’s power and grace, which Edward uses to give the audience one glimpse of hope at the end of the sermon. By stating that “you have an extraordinary opportunity…Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open” (33), he gives the audience more reason to convert back to God.
Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor are two of the most recognizable poets from early American History; they were also both American Puritans, who changed the world with their poetry. We can see many similarities in their poetry when it comes to the importance of religion and also on having children and losing children. There are however differences in the audience of their poetry and their personal views on marriage. Bradstreet and Taylor both came over to America in the 17th century and settled in New England. Though Taylor came years later we can see the similarities through their poetry.
I think scaring individuals with very vivid images in their heads, is not right. Like I mentioned before, they would be going into salvation or anything for the wrong reasons. It would be out of the utter fear of going to hell. I think he could of talked about God in a more positive way than talking about how angry and mean God is. God is loving and caring and if he would of mentioned that then maybe the sermon would of been different and there would of been a better result. I agree that it's important to talk about hell and the seriousness of it, but the how the sermon came out, it seemed that he was trying to scare them into salvation. God gives us a choice into whether we want to live in eternity with him, and that should have been mentioned. It wasn’t Edwards job to make that decision for them. He was trying to save people but really he was doing the opposite and scaring them off. God wants us to choose him because we love him and want a relationship with him, not because we don’t want to go perish for what we
By reading Bradstreet’s work, a fair sense of what Mrs. Bradstreet was like can be grasped. She clearly stated her opinion of those who objected to her writing: “I am obnoxious to each carping tongue, / Who says my hand a needle better fits.” (Bradstreet,“ The Prologue”155). Bradstreet refused to give up her passion for writing even if it meant going against the opinions of anyone in her colony, including religious leaders. Although Bradstreet referred to herself as being obnoxious, her written works portray an entirely different Bradstreet. She seeks no reward or fame for her writing: “Give thyme or parsley wreath, I ask no bays” (155). Bradstreet seeks no reward for her writing because she doesn’t think her work is very good: “My foolish, broken, blemished Muse so sings” (154). She refers to her writing as her: “ill-formed offspring” (“The Author To Her Book”165). Even after her work is published she is ...
She caught severe disease after only two years of arriving in America. Her sickness and expectation of death strengthened her faith and made her consider each day as being her last day. After she recovered from her sickness, she believed that to be blessing. Her sickness became a turning point and self realization for Bradstreet. She built a strong foundation for her faith as a Puritan woman and overcame all her doubts about the existence of God and started to seek salvation from God. When her husband was a way for business, she missed him because of her true and deep love for him. Yet his absent and severe physical and emotional feeling created inner conflict between worldly desire and spirituality. Her love for her husband competed with her love for God. But by using her writing, she sustained her faith and overcame her physical