William Bradford

William Bradford

1. Thesis: In William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, the puritans embark in a quest for religious freedom, encountering hardships like lack of food, cold weather, and belligerent native americans, but they overcome these calamaties by finding a strength in themselves and in God.



2. Impressive passage: After they had enjoyed fair winds and weather for a season, they were encountered many times with cross winds and met with many fierce storms with which the ship was soundly shaken, and her upper works made very leaky; and one of the main beams in the mid-ship was bowed and cracked, which put them in some fear that the ship could not be able to perform the voyage. So some of the chief of the company, perceiving the mariners to fear the insufficiency of the ship as appeared by their mutterings, they entered into serious consultation with the master and other officers of the ship, to consider in time of the danger, and rather to return than to cast themselves into a desperate and inevitable peril. And truly there was great distraction and difference of opinion amongst the mariners themselves; fain would they do what could be done for their wages’ sake (being now near half the seas over) and on the other hand they were loath to hazard their lives too desperately. But in examining of all opinions, the master and others affirmed they knew the ship to be strong and firm under water; and for the buckling of the main beam, there was a great iron screw the passengers brought out of Holland, which would raise the beam into his place; the which being done, the carpenter and master affirmed that with a post put under it, set firm in the lower deck and otherwise bound, he would make it sufficient. And as for the decks and upper works, they would caulk them as well as they could, and though with the working of the ship they would not long keep staunch, yet there would otherwise be no great danger, if they did not over-press her with sails. So they committed themselves to the will of God and resolved to proceed.



3. Reflection: The Puritans in Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation prevail against all the odds that are against them through their strength and their trust in God. In the passage, the beam of the ship cracks, and the only thing they have to fix it is a screw from Holland. Even though the time of the voyage will more than likely be longer and there is a very large chance of the beam cracking once more, they ignore their doubts and fears and continue sailing. The Puritans are also able to overlook these possible outcomes as they 'commit themselves to the will of God'. They believe that God will safely carry them throughout their journey no matter what else goes wrong with their ship. The more obstacles that come in the way of the Puritans, the stronger their belief in their strength and their relationship to God becomes.

Edward Taylor

Edward Taylor

In "Huswifery" Edward Taylor uses imagery, literary conceit and rhyme to express the desire to gain God's grace and to further accentuate how the effort one makes to care for his home is much like the effort one needs to make to care for his soul.

Husewifery Reflection:
http://www.puritansermons.com/poetry/taylor14.htm

Edward Taylor's "Huswifery" illustrates the evolution which one must undergo to be worthy of God's grace. In the first stanza, Taylor refers to the speaker's eagerness to be worthy of God's grace, and how the speaker wishes God to mold him to how he should be. At this stage of the poem, the speaker realizes that he is only in the incipient stages of becoming closer to his spiritual self. In the second stanza, however, the speaker talks about the cloth being created from thread and about the yarn thinning. This portrays how the speaker is not yet perfectly worthy, yet he has come some ways from where he started. Lastly, in the third stanza, the cloak created from the cloth is created as the speaker glorifies God. Finally, after the speaker's journey with God, he has become someone who is worthy of God's grace and glory. What most impresses me about "Huswifery" is how the hard work of the journey to grace is vividly depicted through the metaphoric conceit Taylor uses.

Anne Bradstreet

Essential Question

How does desire lead to strength?

In Anne Bradstreet's world, the people's emotions are circumscribed by the Puritan doctrine. Bradstreet's deep love for her husband and grief at seeing all her worldly possessions burned by the fire in her house are not emotions which are appropriate to display, according to her religion. However, Bradstreet wishes and desires to be a perfect Puritan woman, which leads her to find the strength necessary in order to surpass her sentiments and hide that which is not proper. Readers of her works are able to see within the text the inner conflict she goes through, but ultimately she does find the fortitude necessary to place herself back into the role she believes she belongs in.