American poetry of the seventeenth century as a reflection of a Puritan's character
Pavel Pushkov
Professor Fanning
English 71
14 February 2006
American Poetry of the Seventeenth Century as a Reflection of PuritanтАЩs
Character:
An Analysis of тАЬUpon Wedlock, and the Death of ChildrenтАЭ by Edward Taylor and тАЬUpon the Burning of Our HouseтАЭ by Anne Bradstreet
How much do we know about the first settlers? We know that they started to arrive in New England in the first part of the seventeenth century. We also know that many of them were Puritans. From high school history textbooks we know that Puritans were a very religious group that managed to overcome the dangers of a strange land. But who really were those people? How did they live? What did they think and dream about? What were the most important things in their lives? I think that works of seventeenth century PuritansтАЩ authors will help us to answer these questions. Let us take some poems of Ann Bradstreet and Edward Taylor as examples.
Edward Taylor, who for many years was a priest in a small frontier town, left behind many writings. I think that the poem Upon Wedlock and Death of Children shows the poetтАЩs character the best. The poem devoted to two the most important things in TaylorтАЩs life: his family and religion.
From the first lines of the poem we can see a deep love of the author for his wife. He compares their marriage to a тАЬTrue- Love Knot, more sweet than spice, and set with all the flowers of GraceтАЩs dressтАЭ (356). The use of the phrase тАЬmore sweet than spiceтАЭ is very touching, in my opinion, because it shows the Taylors as a normal, loving couple that time after time had some тАЬspicyтАЭ moments in their live (356). Nevertheless, they love each other and the poet describes their marriage as a тАЬWeddenтАЩs knot, that neтАЩre can be untied: no AlexanderтАЩs Sword can it divide (356).тАЭ Comparing the marriage with a тАЬGordian Knot,тАЭ Taylor shows the strength of the union between his wife and himself (356).
Further on in the poem, Taylor writes about his children. We can see a happiness of the father when the author compares himself with a plant whose тАЬstock [тАж] knotted and manly flower out brakeтАЭ (357). This is how he describes the birth of his son. And later, тАЬ my [TaylorтАЩs] branch again did knot, brought out another flowerтАЭ this time the writer speaks about his daughter (357). Taylor sees himself as a plant, and his children are the most beautiful part of that plant: flowers. Moreover, they are one organism with their father, and the flowers cannot be separated from the stem without pain.
Nevertheless, some of his children die. This is how Taylor describes the death of his child: тАЬat that unlooked for [тАж] darksome hour [тАж] a glorious hand [тАж] did crop this flowerтАЭ (357). The verb тАЬcropтАЭ is used to show how roughly a тАЬflowerтАЭ was separated from the тАЬstemтАЭ; it shows the pain of the father (357). The following lines demonstrate the agony of a parent watching his child dieing, тАЬтАж oh, the tortures, Vomit, screeching, groans, and six weeks Fever would pierce hearts like stonesтАЭ (357). We can see how much the poet loves his children.
However, there is something that Taylor values even more than his wife and kids: it is his religion. Taylor seems to believe that the Lord determines humansтАЩ destiny, and that God created his family. Taylor writes, тАЬGod made in paradiseтАЭ that тАЬTrue- Love knot, more sweet than spice (TaylorтАЩs marriage),тАЭ and тАЬplantedтАЭ Taylor himself тАЬin that knotтАЭ (357). All people are no more than flowers in the garden of God in TaylorтАЩs mind. And it is up to Lord to decide whether he тАЬgetтАЩst them green, or let them seedтАЭ (357).
There is no doubt that Taylor adores his kids, but let us take a look at these lines. While тАЬcroppingтАЭ the тАЬflowers (children)тАЭ Christ тАЬтАжhaving Choice, chose this my branch [тАж] Lord takeтАЩt. I thank TheeтАЭ (357). Does it not sound like Taylor is proud and happy that God took his children, and not somebody elseтАЩs? The poet sincerely believes that his children are in a much better place than earth now. Furthermore, Taylor sees humans as the property of God. тАЬTake [children], Lord, theyтАЩre Thine,тАЭ the poet addresses to God (357). Nothing, even the death of loved ones, can shake the poetтАЩs faith.
Not everyone, however, was as orthodox as Taylor. Anne Bradstreet, a famous Puritan poetess, did not write as much about religion as Taylor. Many other things inspired her writing. Some critics even consider the poetess to be a тАЭdisguised rebelтАЭ against Puritanism. This point of view is very reasonable. For example, after the death of her grandson, in her poem On My Dear Grandchild Simon Bradstreet, Bradstreet wrote, тАЬsuch was His [godтАЩs] will, but why, letтАЩs not disputeтАЭ (268). Does not it sound like she did ask God тАЬwhyтАЭ? To question the God! Can you imagine Taylor doing something like this? Let us examine one of BradstreetтАЩs poems to find out if she really was a rebel or not.
When Bradstreet wrote her poem Upon the Burning of Our House, she was fifty-four, an old age at that time. She might have been a rebel when she was younger, but she definitely is not one at that time. Her belief in god is sincere. As soon as she realizes that her house is on fire, she asks the Lord тАЬto strengthen me [Bradstreet] in my distressтАЭ (269). Later, when her house has burnt to the ground, Anne is not angry with God at all. On the contrary, she praises him. тАЬI praised His name that gave and took [тАж] it was his own, it was not mine,тАЭ the poetess says (270). Taylor uses almost the same words describing the death of his children. Everything belongs to God. The humansтАЩ existence on Earth is nothing but a preparation to eternal life. According to PuritansтАЩ belief there is no sense n being upset about the burned home because for everyone there is тАЬa house on high erect, framed by that mighty ArchitectтАЭ (270).
The part of the poem describing BradstreetтАЩs burned place is very emotional. I think only a woman could write it. тАЬAnd here and there the places spy where oft I set and long did lie,тАЭ the poetess writes (270). тАЬMy pleasant things in ashes lie, and them behold no more shall I,тАЭ she also mentioned (270). It seems that the poetess worries more about her memories that were connected with the lost possessions, than about a real price of her belongings.
It is interesting how Bradstreet addresses to her house directly тАЭunder thy roof no guest shall sit, nor at thy table eat a bit. Nor pleasant tale shall eтАЩer be told [тАж] No candle eтАЩer shall shine in thee. No bridegroomтАЩs voice eтАЩer heard shall beтАЭ (270). The poetess mourns the house like a living being who can no longer be a host. тАЬIn silence ever shall thou [house] lieтАЭ (270). These lines tell us quite a bit about an every day life of the pioneers. Families would spend their leisure time telling tales (270). A visit of a guest could be a big event in an isolated community (270). That is why the lost of the house for Bradstreet was like the lost of an old and welcoming friend.
The last two lines of the poem are difficult to interpret. тАЬ The world no longer let me love, my hope and treasure lie aboveтАЭ she says (270). Probably, Bradstreet means that she does not have much left to live for, and nothing good is waiting for her in our world anymore. That is why her only тАЬhope and treasure lie aboveтАЭ in the kingdom of God (270).
Anne BradstreetтАЩs poetry broke the rules of the PuritansтАЩ world. She appreciates many earthly matters, not only religion. However, I do not think she is a rebel. She understands the limitations of PuritansтАЩ society, but I did not find any evidence in her poetry that she wanted to change anything. This is not a rebellion. I think that Bradstreet is a devoted Christian, and believes that everything is in hands of God.
These two poems picture the real life of the first settlers. Unexpectedly, we found out that pioneers were not so differ from us. They, worked, loved, and suffered when their loved ones died. Religion, however, was much more important for them than for modern people. I think that faith helped pioneers to survive in those hard conditions.
Works cited
Bradstreet, Anne. тАЬHere Follows Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666.тАЭ The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Bayem, 6th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2003. 269-270.
Taylor, Edward. тАЬUpon Wedlock, and the Death of Children.тАЭ The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Byem,
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