American Poetry of
the Seventeenth Century as a Reflection of Puritan’s Character:
Pavel Pushkov
Professor Fanning
English 71
14 February 2006
An Analysis of “Upon Wedlock, and
the Death of Children” by Edward Taylor and “Upon the Burning of Our House” 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
Puritans’ 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 poet’s character the
best. The poem devoted to two the most important things in Taylor’s 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
“True- Love Knot, more sweet than spice, and set with all the flowers of
Grace’s dress” (356). The use of the phrase “more sweet than spice” is very
touching, in my opinion, because it shows the Taylors as a normal, loving
couple that time after time had some “spicy” moments in their live (356).
Nevertheless, they love each other and the poet describes their marriage as a
“Wedden’s knot, that ne’re can be untied: no Alexander’s Sword can it divide
(356).” Comparing the marriage with a “Gordian Knot,” 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 “stock […] knotted and manly flower out
brake” (357). This is how he describes the birth of his son. And later, “ my
[Taylor’s] branch again did knot, brought out another flower” 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: “at that unlooked for
[…] darksome hour […] a glorious hand […] did crop this flower” (357). The verb
“crop” is used to show how roughly a “flower” was separated from the “stem”; it
shows the pain of the father (357). The following lines demonstrate the agony
of a parent watching his child dieing, “… oh, the tortures, Vomit, screeching,
groans, and six weeks Fever would pierce hearts like stones” (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 humans’ destiny, and that God created
his family. Taylor writes, “God made in paradise” that “True- Love knot, more
sweet than spice (Taylor’s marriage),” and “planted” Taylor himself “in that
knot” (357). All people are no more than flowers in the garden of God in
Taylor’s mind. And it is up to Lord to decide whether he “get’st them green, or
let them seed” (357).
There is no doubt that Taylor adores
his kids, but let us take a look at these lines. While “cropping” the “flowers
(children)” Christ “…having Choice, chose this my branch […] Lord take’t. I
thank Thee” (357). Does it not sound like Taylor is proud and happy that God
took his children, and not somebody else’s? 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. “Take [children], Lord, they’re Thine,” the
poet addresses to God (357). Nothing, even the death of loved ones, can shake
the poet’s 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 ”disguised rebel” 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,
“such was His [god’s] will, but why, let’s not dispute” (268). Does not it
sound like she did ask God “why”? To question the God! Can you imagine Taylor
doing something like this? Let us examine one of Bradstreet’s 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 “to strengthen me [Bradstreet] in my distress”
(269). Later, when her house has burnt to the ground, Anne is not angry with
God at all. On the contrary, she praises him. “I praised His name that gave and
took […] it was his own, it was not mine,” the poetess says (270). Taylor uses
almost the same words describing the death of his children. Everything belongs
to God. The humans’ existence on Earth is nothing but a preparation to eternal
life. According to Puritans’ belief there is no sense n being upset about the
burned home because for everyone there is “a house on high erect, framed by
that mighty Architect” (270).
The part of the poem describing
Bradstreet’s burned place is very emotional. I think only a woman could write
it. “And here and there the places spy where oft I set and long did lie,” the
poetess writes (270). “My pleasant things in ashes lie, and them behold no more
shall I,” 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 ”under thy roof no guest shall sit, nor at thy
table eat a bit. Nor pleasant tale shall e’er be told […] No candle e’er shall
shine in thee. No bridegroom’s voice e’er heard shall be” (270). The poetess
mourns the house like a living being who can no longer be a host. “In silence
ever shall thou [house] lie” (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. “ The world no longer let me love, my hope and treasure
lie above” 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 “hope and treasure lie above” in the kingdom of
God (270).
Anne Bradstreet’s poetry broke the
rules of the Puritans’ world. She appreciates many earthly matters, not only
religion. However, I do not think she is a rebel. She understands the
limitations of Puritans’ 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.
Список литературы
Bradstreet,
Anne. “Here Follows Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666.”
The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Bayem, 6th ed. New York:
W.W. Norton, 2003. 269-270.
Taylor,
Edward. “Upon Wedlock, and the Death of Children.” The Norton Anthology of
American Literature. Ed. Nina Byem,