Most of Bradstreet's poems consist of life experiences. Not all of the experiences in her poems were pleasant. I enjoyed Verses upon the Burning of our House, July 18th, 1666 I liked the way she expressed her emotions over losing her house. My favorite part of the poem was "under the roof no guest shall sit/ nor at thy table eat a bit./ no pleasant talk shall ere be told/ nor things recounted done of old./ no candle 'ere shall shine in thee./ nor bridegroom's voice ere heard shall bee." She thinks of the future experiences there were to be had in the house that will never happen there.
Another poem of hers I enjoyed was To My Dear and Loving Husband. I liked the way she chose to show how much she loved her husband. When she described her love as something a river could not quench it stressed to me her undying love for her husband. I enjoyed the feelings of love she expressed and how she chose to express them. Also, when she says "Then while we live, in love let's so perservere /That when we live no more, we may live ever." The way she says she will love her husband even in death is romantic and seems very truthful.
Mary Rowlandson, from A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson
Each of the Removes consist of a days happenings. In the First Remove it tells of when the Indians came and attacked where they were staying. Rowlandson tells of how she was separated from her husband and all she had left was her life. The Second Remove has to do with their journey away from their town with the Indians and God helped her persist through the horrible conditions. The rest of the Removes deals with how God helps her all throughout her bad experiences.
Edward Taylor
All of Taylor's poems are about God and how life is centered around his many creations. In Upon Wedlock, and Death of Children the mix of happiness and sadness created a very emotional piece of work. It shows how even though life can be filled with happiness there will always be a low point but everything happens for a reason.
While Taylor's poems deal with God they also deal with his creations. In the two poems dealing with God's creatures (Upon a Wasp Chilled of Cold
Jonathan Edwards
His writing deals with his life and how God has affected it. Edwards tells of how he dedicated his life to God and gave up all that he had. He unfortunately did not keep his vow. Through his journey with God Edwards learns much about him self and his religion.
Phillis Wheatley
Wheatley's poems also deal with God and how he was involved in her life experiences. My favorite of her poems was the one to General Washington. The very last stanza in her poem where she says " Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy side,/Thy ev'ry action let the goddess guide" was my favorite lines from her poems. The way she uses words expresses her want for him to succeed was very moving.
During the Puritan period most all of the writings had to deal with everyday life, dealing with the Indians, and God. All of the works are connected by their mention of nature, God and life. They each have experienced God and how at one point or another he has affected their lives. Reading such a wide variety of writers is interesting due to the different ways they all connect through nature, God, and life.
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