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In the 1600s, England colonized the Northeast region of North America. This region, also known as New England, is the birthplace to various works of literature. 1600 New England saw the emergence of many prominent works and writers, many of whom were English. One well-known writer was Anne Bradstreet. Anne Bradstreet was one of the first poets to have a published work in the North American colonies. Bradstreet was a Puritan, and as a result, her poems referenced God at least once. Besides mentioning God, her poems also feature symbolism and extended metaphors. Throughout Bradstreet’s poems, Bradstreet blends domestic and theological imagery into her writings via extended metaphors and symbols. One example of Bradstreet’s usage of extended metaphors and …show more content…
This poem features less theological imagery than domestic. Bradstreet uses the words “money,” “ever,” and “love” as symbols to help her readers understand the severity of her love. Instead of mentioning money that we know of, Bradstreet instead replaces them with gold and riches. She also mentions payments to describe her love. By saying she loves her husband more than gold mines and the then unexplored wealth of the East, is using domestic imagery to picture how much worth her love for her husband is (5-6). The metaphor of payment is used in lines 8-10,to represent how relationships are like a transaction. Something must be given in return for something. I feel, in this case, that this transaction is an unequal exchange of love because she says she cannot repay his bountiful love, instead he receives compensation from Heaven (9-10). Line 10 shows theoretical imagery. Bradstreet is saying that God will repay her husband the remaining amounts of love she cannot give. Ever is interpreted in two different ways. In the first four lines, ever means at any time. For example, in line 1 Bradstreet says that if at any time two people can become one, then that would be her and
During the 1600s, the poetry published was by men. Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan woman who was the
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
The first part in this poem, "If ever two were one" (1) sets us with expectations to continue with the reading. These words show that Bradstreet and her husband were really in love, that this love could unite two persons and make them one. Bradstreet and her husband think, act, and feel much like they are part of each other. The tone of this poem tells us that she is a very religious, because she speaks of praying and the heavens. We get the impression that she is a very dedicated person, to her family and to God. She...
Anne Bradstreet’s poetry resembles a quiet pond. Her quiet puritan thinking acts as the calm surface that bears a resemblance to her natural values and religious beliefs. Underneath the pond there is an abundance of activity comparable to her becoming the first notable poet in American Literature. Anne Bradstreet did not obtain the first notable poet’s title very easily; she endured sickness, lack of food, and primitive living conditions during her time in the New World. Despite these misfortunes she used her emotions and strong educational background to write extraordinarily well for a woman in that time.
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.
Anne Bradstreet is seen as a true poetic writer for the seventeenth century. She exhibits a strong Puritan voice and is one of the first notable poets to write English verse in the American colonies. Bradstreet’s work symbolizes both her Puritan and feminine ideals and appeals to a wide audience of readers. American Puritan culture was basically unstable, with various inchoate formations of social, political, and religious powers competing publicly. Her thoughts are usually on the reality surrounding her or images from the Bible. Bradstreet’s writing is that of her personal and Puritan life. Anne Bradstreet’s individualism lies in her choice of material rather than in her style.
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).
Anne Bradstreet was an incredible woman, Puritan, and poet. She wrote many poems about romance, politics, and the liberation of women. She overcame many hardships and cultural bias to become the first published female poet in Amerca. In this essay you will get to know Mrs. Bradstreet a little more, and you will also learn about her creative writing style, the language she used, her religious believes, and more!
Poets, Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet both used poetry to meet expectation in a puritan society. The poets both wrote poetry to express their emotional and spiritual distress without letting society surrounding them in on their struggles. With no intended audience for their poems expressing their grievances, the poets could openly express their emotions and address their god in a private, discreet, manner without facing ridicule from fellow citizens. Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor used several literary devices separately, but together they had many more in common. Among the many shared literary devices were, syntactical shifts, rhetorical questions, imagery, and diction. Throughout both the poets work, a robust amount of commas are used.
Our poem takes place in the 1600’s Puritan era and the narrator Anne Bradstreet is a common women who has found a passion for writing. However she does not tell anyone about her work that she does because it wasn’t widely accepted that Puritan women write. Anne Bradstreet finds herself in the worst position she could imagine through her work being broadcasted to the public with no knowledge. Through this experience she finds comfort and clarity in writing again. She begins to tell us of the story of her work being published by a “friend”. Through this experience, she talks about how her work was not good enough for the public to see. She only wishes she could alter and fix it, but it’s too late. On the other hand, she realizes that she cares
It’s a known fact that writers in different time periods reflect the era in which they are living through their works. The poems To My Dear and Loving Husband and Upon the Burning of Our House by Anne Bradstreet, and Jonathan Edwards’ sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God all reflect the heavy influence of religion on the Puritan way of life. Bradstreet and Edwards both paint pictures in their works of what the time period was like and they both portray God in their works frequently. However, the two authors share many similarities and differences when it comes to the images they are creating and the way they present them. These similarities and differences can be seen in the religious views they depict through their works and their similar
Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan. Much like all the other Puritans of her time she examined her conscience daily and that they always felt that they were humbled by God's creations and powers. One poem in which she expresses her religion's ideas and philosophies was "Contemplations".
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.
The Puritan life, although simple, demanded diligence both mentally and spiritually which put stress on even the most faithful of followers. Although the common practice entailed brushing religious struggles under the rug, few writers bravely wrote of their religious doubts and endeavors to become better Puritans. Author Anne Bradstreet shows in her work “Here Follows Some Verse upon the Burning of Our House, July 10th, 1666” that religious struggles are often met by Puritans and it takes brave souls to admit their difficult time with their religion. This poem shows a woman dealing with a religious crisis and how even though she struggles her faith still holds strong in the end. Bradstreet’s poem displays a crisis of faith in her content and reflects her struggle with the Puritan beliefs, however, the form and structure of the poem reflect her internal religious solidarity.
Up until the early 17th century, American literature was chiefly about politics, religion, and recorded events. These writings were very dry and lacked insight into the everyday lives of the authors. To put into writing any individual spiritual reflections that strayed away from the religion of the colony could be dangerous at that time; possibly resulting in banishment from the colony or worse. Likewise, any writing that did not serve at least one of the purposes listed above was considered to be a waste of time that would be better spent praising God. Anne Bradstreet defied the rules of her time by writing about whatever she wanted including personal thoughts, reflections, emotions, and events. Bradstreet was the first to write about personal matters, which is her greatest literary contribution in early American literature.