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Puritans and literature
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Historical Puritan Writing and Poetry In the late 1600’s, literature is dissimilar from today’s, such as focusing on being sent into the fiery pits of hell only because one hasn’t converted to Puritanism. There are also different types of writing to display the righteousness and positives of being a converted and loyal to the Puritan culture. Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards are two popular Puritan authors who project different messages and portray a varying energy through a slim number of their pieces. The poems, “To My Dear and Loving Husband” or “Upon the Burning of Our House” by Anne Bradstreet or “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards are fit examples of the Puritan age and what Puritans belive to be religiously One of the major differences in Bradstreet and Edwards’ writing styles is how angry and demanding Edwards’ works are compared to the logical and rather positive works of Bradstreet. Bradstreet said, “I prize thy love more than the whole mines of gold…” (116, Line 5), this renders the image of Bradstreet relying on love more than money because love isn’t superficial, and this demenstrates the logical side of her writing. When it came to “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, the writing style is angry, for example when Edwards said, “So that, thus it is that natural men… they have deserved the fiery pit.” (126). Not only does this exhibit his vextation and absurdity, but it also shows a side of religion that differs from Anne Bradstreet’s. Edwards hates the unconverted man, and he believes that if you aren’t converted, that you anger God and he will send you to hell. Bradstreet on the other side believes that if those who worship God, he will always be there to assist them, even if they aren’t completely converted, which is odd for two converted Puritans to differ on these
First, both of the main speakers within each of the following Puritan literary works were ministers during the 1700s, which was around the time of the Puritans. These works were also written within third person point of view. Now, both of these ministers then express their concerns for their congregation
One of the most cherished doctrines of the Puritans is the well-known weaned affections. From a Puritan perspective, people must learn to wean their way off of “Earthy possessions” in order to dedicate their attention on God. Puritans were preoccupied with the belief that if people invested themselves in Earthy distraction including relationships, they would struggle to find everlasting-spiritual beauty. In both “The Author to Her Book” by Anne Bradstreet as well as the “Prologue” by Edward Taylor, the authors portray themselves in a struggle to be weaned from their affections.
Edwards immediately begins with a harsh, almost cruel, tone with the use of abrasive diction. His first moments of preaching the sermon had the use of words such as, “over the pit of hell;..deserved the fiery pit… wrath in hell… devil is waiting for them,” (1). Edwards
Anne Bradstreet, whom most critics consider America’s first “authentic poet”, was born and raised as a Puritan. Bradstreet married her husband Simon at the tender age of eighteen. She wrote her poems while rearing eight children and performing other domestic duties. In her poem “Upon The Burning Of Our House, July 10th, 1666”, Bradstreet tells of three valuable lessons she learned from the fire that destroyed her home.
Religion was the foundation of the early Colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a new land and worship according to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be involved with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and religions role in their life on the new continent. Their literature helped to proselytize the message of God and focused on hard work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These main themes are evident in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mathers, and John Winthrop. This paper will explore the writings of these three men and how their religious views shaped their literary works, styles, and their historical and political views.
Reis, Elizabeth. Damned Women: Sinners and Witches in Puritan New England.( New York: Cornell University Press, 1999), 107-108.
The Puritans in London think of themselves as righteous and worthy before God because of their “pure” ways of living. They view other humans that are not in their order vile, unclean, and incapable of God’s true love, even though one message of Christianity states that everyone is God’s children. One instance of this disdain and superiority is when a Puritan makes the statement to the Dog-Woman, “‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness,’” obviously noting her lack of wealth and access to hygienic products; to this she replies, “‘God looks on the heart, not a poor woman’s dress’… but there was no stopping his little sermon, which he gave with his eyes rolled back as piously as a rabbit’s” (Winterson 15). The Dog-Woman reveals to the audience that she is a sinner in her mind, but she still believes that everyone has a chance of being saved by God if they truly wish it. This particular event emphasizing cleanliness and purity, as well as a statement from the Dog-Woman that Preacher Scroggs “makes love to [his wife] through a hole in the sheet… ‘for fear of lust’” (Winterson 22), strongly contradicts the actions that take place in the brothel. For the importance of faithfulness and abstinence from lust, Preacher Scroggs and Neighbor Firebrace commit acts of homosexuality with each other. For the emphasis on cleanliness, they are creative with each other’s bodily fluids in their sexual acts. For the prominence of being faithful to God and having familial love with their fellow men, they burn down the Dog-Woman’s house in the name of Jesus and Oliver Cromwell. In an act of justice for herself and for the death of the king, the Dog-Women sets forth her own means of execution for Preacher Scroggs and Neighbor Firebrace, interrupting their affair and applying her own method of normalizing
Here begins the influence of the Puritan life on Anne’s work. Christian Doctrine became the only topic that was acceptable for people to write about. It was used to educate and persuade the colonies to worship and honor God. Many Puritans kept journals and diaries as a history of God’s work among the colonies. The available readings contained moral lessons all established by Puritan leaders, or the church. In the article “Puritan Poetry: Public or Private” the author explains the aim of public poems is to present, confirm, and glorify the cause. It also suggests that the concerns of public poetry are d...
Bradstreet’s poetry is fully religious. Being a pious woman, as everyone was at that time period, she wrote poems claiming high morals and religious motifs. Her writings were very popular among puritans who started colonizing America. His Puritan belief was the reason of her special attitude to her life, soul and sufferings. “She thought that God was so hard on her because her soul was too in love with the world. She also wrote some poems where she asked God to watch over her children and husband” (Gonzalez, 2000).
Puritan society in colonial America was a made up of a strict community whom blamed all evil deeds and wrong doings on on the devil or witchcraft and condemned drama, dancing, and music. “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller and “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne are set in Puritan society of colonial America and depict the society in a harsh sense. “The Crucible” is the story of witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts while “The Scarlet Letter” tells the story of a woman named Hester Prynne who is shamed after committing a crime. Both stories show how Puritan society is and the expectations it puts on its citizens. Based on research of Puritan society in colonial America and reading both “The Crucible” by Arthur
Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards were poets who lived in the late 17th century. Their poetry is very different because Edwards writes about fiery pits of hell, while Bradstreet writes about love and being grateful. In both of their lives, God is important; everything revolves around God and a Puritan question: Is this something God would do? The poems Upon the Burning of Our House and To My Dear and Loving Husband written by Anne Bradstreet show how you can sin, but God will forgive you for what you have done. While Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards show if you don’t convert to Christ, God will punish you forever. After analyzing these two authors I believe that they have the same religious views, however
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” Rhetorical Analysis “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards uses imagery and symbolism to persuade the audience to become more devout Christians by channeling fear and emphasizing religious values. Jonathan Edwards was a Puritan minister who preached during the time of the Great Awakening in America. During this period of religious revival, Edwards wanted people to return to the devout ways of the early Puritans in America. The spirit of the revival led Edwards to believe that sinners would enter hell. Edwards’ sermon was primarily addressed to sinners for the purpose of alerting them about their sins and inspiring them to take action to become more devoted 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.
“Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar.” “God is Great. God is Great”. These are the words which every Muslim is required to chant several times a day. The same notion of God’s greatness is also portrayed in Puritan life. The Puritans are a people of religious fervor and strict adherence to the Bible who, without doubt, looked to God in every facet of their life. It is human nature to relate to things we know in order to make sense of the topic at hand. After recently studying Puritan texts, I feel that they express some of the same ideas as the Muslims. Some of the ideas include a sense of community, a contract with God, the notion of fear, and the removal of material goods. The ideas from John Winthrop’s from “A City Upon a Hill”, Anne Bradstreet’s “Verses Upon the Burning of Our House”, Edmund Morgan’s The Puritan Dilemma, and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible all express similar ideas to those of the Muslims. The Muslims have allowed me to create a better understanding of the Puritan ideology present in the gambit of Puritan texts. I understand that the power of religion is a unifying force which can lead to a decline in society.
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 ...