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American Poetry
Michael Wigglesworth, Edward Taylor, and Anne Bradstreet can all be classified as American Puritan poets. God makes an appearance in nearly every poem penned by each of these three writers. Yet the poetry of Wigglesworth, Taylor, and Bradstreet differs significantly as well. Bradstreet exhibits neoclassical trends: especially in poems such as "The Prologue," in which the poet refers directly to the Greeks: "shure the ancient Greeks were far more mild." In "The Prologue," Bradstreet also mentions figures from Greek mythology and literature like Calliope. Edward Taylor's poetry is far more Christian in nature and imagery. The first line of "Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children" is "A Curious Knot God made in Paradise." Equally as religious are the poems of Michael Wigglesworth, who makes ample Biblical references in his poem "The Day of Doom." Wigglesworth, Taylor, and Bradstreet represent the common elements in Puritan writing, but each presents the Puritan poetry traditions in their own way. "The Day of Doom" captures the fear of God that Puritans valued so much. The poem is filled with imagery related to the Day of Judgment: "Now Atheist blind, whose brutish mind / a God could never see, / Dost thou perceive, dost now believe, / that Christ thy Judge shall be?" (stanza 8). Wigglesworth's work is written in a rhythm and rhyme scheme that is almost childlike, as the poet tries to create an easily memorizable collection of verses that can be used for Christian indoctrination purposes. Wigglesworth was, after all, a Puritan minister. The goal of "Day of Doom" is to install fear of Judgment into the "Flock of Lambs" that comprises his congregation (stanza 25). "All Sound Believers (Gospel Receivers) / whose Grace was small, but grew" appeals to those whose hearts might be straying from the church. Wigglesworth takes it upon himself to use the medium of poetry, with a rigid rhythm and rhyme scheme, to remind…
Works Cited
Bradstreet, Anne. Poems from: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/bradstreet/bradstreet.html#burn
Taylor, Edward. "Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children." Retrieved online: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175405
Wigglesworth, Michael. "The Day of Doom." Retrieved online: http://www.puritansermons.com/poetry/doom001.htm
Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor The popular notion that the Puritans were wholly focused on their religion is not much of an exaggeration. Even a casual exploration of writing from the colonial period in America underscores this thematic dominance: Puritan authors felt duty-bound to use their writing to support believers to stay the righteous course. The Puritans believed that life on earth was test of faith in God and an opportunity
Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Whatley, Emily Dickinson part a developing tradition American women poets. Discuss significant differences similarities . N.B.: The sources provided writing. One thing I'd simple original. Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Whatley, and Emily Dickinson are some of the most representative female American writers that have had a significant contribution to American literature as we know it today. Despite their undisputed role in American literature, the three writers are bound by
Bradstreet also wrote about her fear of death and whether her husband might remarry. "Through her dread of dying in childbirth lets us see that her deeper fear is a jealous one that her husband might remarry," (Hensley xxiii). Bradstreet's description of childbirth as being a shade away from death shows what life was like for women in the colonies. "The last month of pregnancy was not only a
/My garments are not silk nor gold,/nor such like trash which Earth doth hold,/but Royal Robes I shall have on,/More glorious than the glist'ring Sun./My Crown not Diamonds, Pearls, and gold,/but such as Angels' heads infold./the City where I hope to dwell,/There's none on Earth can parallel./the stately Walls both high and trong/Are made of precious Jasper stone,/the Gates of Pearl, both rich and clear,…/the Streets thereof transparent gold/Such as
The Flesh attempts to tempt her sister, the Spirit, with physical wealth and beauty. She argues that meditation alone is not enough to live on, and that earth cannot be divorced from the spirit. Bradstreet however demonstrates that there is a basic imbalance in this view. Flesh does not argue for a balance between the Flesh and the Spirit, but rather suggests that the world of the Flesh is
" This allusion to the Garden of Eden reminds the reader of how they should be suspicious of their own, base instincts, for that is how human beings fell in the garden -- by being disobedient and acting upon their base desires. Instead, they must appeal to God for guidance. Rather than seek success on earth, for the Spirit: "my ambition lies above." The Spirit replies to every temptation made