1. Oral Tradition in American Literature
ENGL 2130 American Literature

2. Literature and Culture
Competency Area #1 (Literature and Culture)
The bible was the center of a Puritan’s lifestyle
Lived a very plain, simple lifestyle, and shunned luxuries or materialism
Literacy was highly revered, emphasized, and tied to the bible
Education was based on biblical instructions
Marriage was the most important relationship (procreation)
Wives (expected to be pious); Husbands (head of household); Children were expected to be obedient

3. Themes and Essential Ideas
Competency Area #2 (Themes and Essential Ideas)
Religion
Literature is instructive
Bible is the template for writing
Predestination
All events have been willed by God
Inward reflection
Writing (and lifestyle) focuses on inner values rather than outer world
Little or no value on imaginative writing

4. Stylistic Characteristics (Plain Language)
Competency Area 2 (Themes and Essential Ideas) Extremely plain, simple language
Plain language connects to their lifestyle and useful in explaining spiritual beliefs
Preference for logic, clarity, and order
Shunned overly extravagant writing
"God's altar needs not our polishings.“ (Minister John Cotton)

5. Stylistic Characteristics (Forms, Key Authors)
Competency Area 2 (Themes and Essential Ideas) Major Forms of Writing
Diaries, Pamphlets, Sermons
Narratives, Poetry
Key Authors
Anne Bradstreet *
William Bradstreet
Edward Taylor

6. Stylistic Characteristics (Poetry)
Competency Area 2 (Themes and Essential Ideas) Poetry
Poetry writing seems contradictory to lifestyle but it always related to one’s love of God
Poetry often explored the relationship between God and the individual
Uses metaphor and nature imagery to explicate the spiritual world
Uses a controlled form (rhyming couplets, sonnets, and so on) similar to their lifestyle

7. Historical Characteristics
Competency Area 3 (Literature and History) Why did they come to America?
Immigrated due to religious discrimination in England
More religious freedom and less constraints in America
What were the Puritan’s basic beliefs or values?
Stressed literacy, education, and morality
Predestination, Covenant of Works, and Covenant of Abraham
Puritanism’s strong influence on American literature at this time

8. Featured Author: Anne Bradstreet (Accomplishments, Personal Life)
Competency Area 3 (Literature and History) 'Sweet words are like honey, a little may refresh, but too much gluts the stomach.’
Literary Accomplishments
America’s earliest poet
Highly Educated
Personal Life
Born in England (1612) and married at 16
Relocated to America
Eight children (despite health)

9. Featured Author: Anne Bradstreet (Literary Background)
Competency Area 3 (Literature and History) Literary Background / Poetry
Relates to her personal life, written for family (published by brother in law)
Focuses on domestic life and spirituality
“To my dear and loving husband”
Most popular poem and widely read in American Literature
Fits into Puritan Literary Movement (shows devotion to God in the poem)
Goes beyond Puritan Literary Movement: Poems seems to show couple with clearly defined roles as husband and wife, yet mutual love exists

10. Featured Author: Anne Bradstreet (American Poet)
“Words are sweet, but too much gluts the stomach” (Bradstreet)
Poetry Honest, “sweet words” that goes beyond and stays within Puritan lifestyle without “glutting the stomach”

11. Formalist Approach to Literature

12. Formalist Approach to Literature (From Surface to Deep)
Competency Area 4 (Writing and Research)
Formalist Approach
Does not consider one’s personal reaction to the text, the author’s life, historical events, or cultural or social factors
Questions to consider
Begin at the surface: What is the text about?
Dive Deeper: What is its overall meaning?
Inspect everything: How do one or more literary elements or parts (title, words, lines, statements, syntax, and so on) of the text contribute to its overall meaning or theme?

13. Formalist Approach to Literature (Example)
Competency Area 4 (Writing and Research)
Bradstreet’s “To my dear and loving husband” Begin at the surface: What is the subject of the poem? What is it about?
The poem is about a wife who dearly loves her husband
It is written by America’s first female poet
It was written during the Puritan time period

14. Formalist Approach to Literature (Example . .)
Competency Area 4 (Writing and Research)
Bradstreet’s “To my dear and loving husband” Dig Deeper: What is the overall meaning of the poem? What parts make you feel this way?
Overall Meaning
One of the themes is loving someone beyond human comprehension or beyond life itself
Parts of the Poem to Support My View of the Theme
Title, Opening and Closing Lines, Personification

15. Formalist Approach to Literature (Example . . . )
Competency Area 4 (Writing and Research)
Bradstreet’s “To my dear and loving husband” Overall Meaning
One of the themes is a mutual loving relationship and one that goes beyond human comprehension or beyond life itself
Title:
The title shows a mutual loving relationship and love
She refers to him as “my dear”
He is her “loving husband”

16. Formalist Approach to Literature (Example . . . . )
Competency Area 4 (Writing and Research)
Bradstreet’s “To my dear and loving husband” Overall Meaning
One of the themes is a mutual loving relationship and one that goes beyond human comprehension or beyond life itself
Opening Lines of Poem (Mutual loving relationship)
Uses Boolean expression (“If Then”)
If true, then there is mutual power in the relationship
“two were one” ; “man love wife”; “wife loved by man”

17. Formalist Approach to Literature (Example . . . . . )
Competency Area 4 (Writing and Research)
Bradstreet’s “To my dear and loving husband” Overall Meaning
One of the themes is a mutual loving relationship and one that goes beyond human comprehension or beyond life itself
Use of Personification (love beyond life itself)
“East doth hold” - Shows that the love is beyond human comprehension
“Rivers cannot quench” - Shows the love is beyond the earthly life
“Heavens will reward” - Shows that their love is intertwined with her spirituality (her true love = spiritual love and earthly love)

18. Formalist Approach to Literature ( Example . . . . . )
Competency Area 4 (Writing and Research)
Bradstreet’s “To my dear and loving husband” Overall Meaning
One of the themes is a mutual loving relationship and one that goes beyond human comprehension or beyond life itself
Last Lines of Poem
“That when we live no more, may we live ever”
Shows not only her belief in the afterlife, but it also shows that there love goes beyond life itself
Intertwines spiritual and earthly love