…and their contributions to American Literature PURITANS …and their contributions to American Literature

Who are the Puritans? Colonists/settlers from Europe who came to America in the 1600s for religious freedom Religious reformers that did not withdraw from the Church of England who intended to reform the Church from within

How are they different from Pilgrims? Pilgrims were also religious reformers, however, they withdrew from the Church of England and became known as “Separatists”

What was the Puritans’ Purpose? Hoped to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a “city upon a hill,” a model community guided in all aspects by the Bible Their form of government was a theocracy, a state under the immediate guidance of God

What were the Puritans’ Central Beliefs? Human beings exist for the glory of God The Bible is the sole expression of God’s will Predestination: God has already decided who will achieve salvation and who will not Continual hard work and discipline Education

How does predestination work? No one knows if they are “chosen” so, all devout Puritans searched their souls with great rigor and frequency for signs of grace The “elect” that will be saved mustn’t take election for granted, thus everyone must live as if they know they were elected

Puritan Ideals Today Hard work (“Puritan Ethic”) Frugality Self-improvement Self-Reliance Education …are all values inherited from the Puritans as basic American virtues

How did the Puritans contribute to American literature? Wrote theological studies, hymns, histories, biographies and autobiographies with the purpose of spiritual insight and instruction Fiction and Drama = Sin Puritans did write poetry as a vehicle for spiritual enlightenment

Puritan Writing Sole purpose = moral instruction The writing style of the Puritans reflected the plain style of their lives – spare, simple, straightforward = Puritan Plain Style  characterized by short words, direct statements, and references to ordinary, everyday objects

Trivial Pursuit Knowledge: The Puritans founded Harvard College in 1636 to ensure a well-educated ministry

Now for some Puritan poetry … Turn to page 93 in your textbook to read Edward Taylor’s “Huswifery”.

Make me, O Lord, Thy spinning wheel complete;      Thy holy word my distaff make for me. Make mine affections Thy swift flyers neat,      And make my soul Thy holy spool to be.      My conversation make to be Thy reel,      And reel the yarn thereon spun of Thy wheel.   Make me Thy loom then, knit therein this twine:      And make Thy holy spirit, Lord, wind quills: Then weave the web Thyself. The yarn is fine.      Thine ordinances make my fulling mills.      Then dye the same in heavenly colors choice,      All pinked with varnished flowers of paradise. Then clothe therewith mine understanding, will,      Affections, judgment, conscience, memory; My words and actions, that their shine may fill      My ways with glory and Thee glorify.      Then mine apparel shall display before Ye      That I am clothed in holy robes for glory.

Let’s Paraphrase the Poem In your notes, translate the language of Taylor’s into your own vernacular. Each line needs to be translated. Stop to look up unfamiliar words in the footnotes or in the dictionary.

Original Paraphrase Make me, O Lord, Thy spinning wheel complete; Thy holy word my distaff make for me. Make mine affections Thy swift flyers neat, And make my soul Thy holy spool to be. My conversation make to be Thy reel, And reel the yarn thereon spun of Thy wheel. God, make me entirely into a spinning wheel. Let your holy words be the place I wind the wool for spinning. Have my emotions be the tools that twist the fibers into yarn And make my soul be the spool where that yarn rests. Let my conversations act as a reel to turn out the yarn of your words to those I speak with.

Original Paraphrase God, make me your loom to knit together the yarn of your words. Make your holy spirit be the quills of that loom and then weave your words yourself. Your yarn is quality. Make your sacraments machines to change cloth into felt. Dye that cloth into the heavenly colors of your choice. Decorate that cloth with the glossed flowers of paradise. Make me Thy loom then, knit therein this twine: And make Thy holy spirit, Lord, wind quills: Then weave the web Thyself. The yarn is fine.  Thine ordinances make my fulling mills. Then dye the same in heavenly colors choice, All pinked with varnished flowers of paradise.

Original Paraphrase Then clothe me and all of my understanding, will, affections, judgment, conscience, memory and my words and actions so that they will shine and fill everything I do with your glory and in turn I will be glorifying you. In this way, my clothes will show you that I am dressed in holy robes to praise you. Then clothe therewith mine understanding, will, Affections, judgment, conscience, memory; My words and actions, that their shine may fill My ways with glory and Thee glorify. Then mine apparel shall display before Ye That I am clothed in holy robes for glory.

Answer the following questions: What does the speaker want to do with God’s handiwork? What does the poem suggest about the speaker’s attitude toward God? How do the final two lines convey Taylor’s belief that religious grace comes as a gift from God, rather than as a result of a person’s efforts? What does Taylor’s comparison of a household task with the granting of grace suggest about his perception of God’s relationship to the earthly world? What is the tone of the poem? What message or theme is the poet trying to convey with the poem, “Huswifery”?

Now it’s your turn… Turn to page 91 in the textbook and read “To My Dear and Loving Husband” by Anne Bradstreet Analyze the poem using the technique of paraphrasing and responding to questions.