In the poetry of the three authors, Anne Bradstreet, Michael Wigglesworth and Samuel Danforth, there are numerous expressions of conventional Christian sentiment throughout. One convention that is similar among all of the puritan poets is the quality of righteousness. Their preoccupation with interpreting god word and living by these standard can be seen in the writing of all three poets. Their reasons for living clean, moral life is because they believed that they would not only be judged for what they did in their mortal life, but also in the afterlife. Although they believed that god had predetermined who was going to heaven and who was going to hell, they thought that if you did not follow the word of god, it would lead to ultimate damnation. …show more content…
In Anne Bradstreet’s Poem “Upon the Burning of Our House” she expresses her thoughts on how the burning of her house was god’s will and all the things that belong in it are material things that truly belong to God. Bradshaw states “I blest his Name that gave and took, That layd my goods now in the dust: Yea so it was, and so 'twas just. It was his own: it was not mine; Far be it that I should repine.” She recognizes in this passage that she never truly owned these items, as god allowed her to enjoy them for the time she had, and his decision to take them away is one she must accept. However, she then goes on to list the different items that she lost in the fire and you can sense her longing for them. She states “No pleasant tale shall 'ere be told, Nor things recounted done of old.” She recognized that there will be no more memories made in this house and in a sense, she is truly not accepting of this. By doing this, she is going against her Christian beliefs, which look down upon materialism and forgetting her purpose is to serve god and accept the fate he has in store for
The Puritans believed God had formed an agreement with them, so they were concerned with moral behavior. The Puritans believed they were suppose to set a good example for people to change their sinful ways. When authors write about a evil or immoral character they may make the reader react more sympathetically than usual. They may do this by adding other evil characters
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.
The Puritans were an interesting group of people. They had a lot of different characteristics and values. To name a few they were religious, selfless/unselfish, and hardworking. To begin with, the puritans were a religious group of people. They were always thanking God for the good things he had done for them, or calling on him in a time of need.
A Burning Devotion to God People want something to look forward to after their lifetime. For the Puritans God is what they look forward to. To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet, Upon the Burning of Our House by Anne Bradstreet, and Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards perceive God in different ways. After analysing Bradstreet and Edward’s poems I have found many differences in their styles of writing and views of God, yet they lead to a common conclusion.
Puritans take their beliefs and values very seriously. These ideals are reflected in how they react in certain situations. They are also reflected in their sermons. Jonathan Edwards and Anne Bradstreet are two authors that reflect their Puritan beliefs. Puritans reflect their beliefs and values in their literature, but not all authors reflect them in the same way.
The question of what exactly is literature comes up every time something is written or read. This question forms many of the English classes that students take all around the world, and this question dominates the literary community. So what exactly is literature and why is it so important? Literature is non-factual, with sensuous language, about particular people or events that have significance. Literature is often figurative and appeals to the emotions.
They were doing good and helping people out and setting a good example for others. They brought hope and joy and they shared and helped each other and they were kind. It it is good when the Puritans help people and it is cool how they share everything.
The book Burning Down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison, by Nell Bernstein is a compelling expose on the inherent evil of juvenile detention facilities. In her eye-opening account of the danger that lies within locking up this nation’s youth, Bernstein utilizes a plethora of rhetorical strategies to urge her audience to recognize and act on her claim. In writing this account on the heinousness of juvenile detention centers and why the system as a whole must be reformed, Bernstein uses personal cause and effect examples, studies and statistics, as well as concrete refutations to advocate the world for change. Bernstein starts her argument by providing readers with personal examples of the effects juvenile detention centers had on a handful of the kids she interviewed. Her first example briefly narrates how Jared, an adolescent many would
During the colonial period many settlers came to the New World to escape persecution for their Puritan beliefs. Writers such as William Bradford, John Winthrop, Anne Bradstreet, and Mary Rowlandson all shared their experiences and religious devotion throughout their literature that ultimately inspired and influenced settlers to follow. This essay will discuss the similarities in Anne Bradstreet and Mary Rowlandson’s work as they both describe their experiences as signs from God. Anne Bradstreet came to the New World as a devoted Puritan as she repeatedly talked about it in her poetry. In her poems she discusses many tragedies that happened in her life such as; the burning of her house and the death of her two grandchildren all of which she thinks were signs from God.
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.
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.
Puritans such as Jonathan Edwards and Anne Bradstreet would write personal history or diary type of literature to influence men and women across the nation on their strong biblical beliefs. Puritans are known for their wide spread faith on the bible, how they would preach, and the way they showed others the way of life that is suitable to enter to heaven. Many puritans believed there were people who were already chosen called the “selected”. Each puritan writer had their own way of getting others involved in the lifestyle of following the bible. Writers like Edwards and Bradstreet both wrote about God and the impact although they had different notions; from them having different points of view of how God felt, to the way they wrote and made their readers feel throughout their writings.
Material Possession vs Religion In “Verses upon the Burning of our House”, about the religious and human view of material things, Anne Bradstreet tries to hide the fact that during the burning of her house she secretly grieves the lost of her material things. The poet struggles in the debate of spiritualism and non spiritualism as she goes on in the poem describing her feelings and thoughts about her house burning down. As I read the poem I felt a bit of controversy from Bradstreet point of view because of her seesaw in how she illustrates the importance of possession, contrary of her religious beliefs. Bradstreet´s final point is that unlike the importance of possession, people, including the poet herself, craves and desires all material things. Bradstreet opens her poem by telling her readers about the impact caused on her when she woke up form a “silent night” (1), term she uses to later express the great impact made on her by the roaring sound of fire burning down her house, and that awakens her from her sleep.
Furthermore, by using end rhyme, Bradstreet symbolically shows restraint. In the same way that a poet controls oneself by specifically using end rhyme, the poet is controlling her emotions when dealing with a sad experience and accepts her mortality. Similarly, in “Verses Upon the Burning of our House,” proof of Bradstreet’s faith is indisputable. After being initially distraught at her house burning down and losing all of her belongings, Bradstreet recounts how she reorients herself and blesses “His name that gave and took,
The Views from two Different Religious Authors Since the beginning of time, people have needed the reassurance of purpose to life. Even though they are all needing reassurance, they have different beliefs. Poets Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards have two different ways to show their faith through poetry. Bradstreet was from the early 1600’s unlike Edwards who was from the early 1700’s. With reading both of their poems you’ll hear two different yet alike ways of trusting in God.