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PURITAN/COLONIAL LITERATURE

PURITAN/COLONIAL LITERATURE. NOTES. WHY DO WE BOTHER READING THIS?. AS THE FIRST COLONISTS, THEY LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR AMERICAN CHARACTER MORAL, ETHICAL, AND RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS PURITAN VALUES ARE PART OF OUR AMERICAN CHARACTERISTICS. PURITAN VALUES. SELF RELIANCE INDUSTRIOUSNESS

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PURITAN/COLONIAL LITERATURE

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  1. PURITAN/COLONIAL LITERATURE NOTES

  2. WHY DO WE BOTHER READING THIS? • AS THE FIRST COLONISTS, THEY LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR AMERICAN CHARACTER • MORAL, ETHICAL, AND RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS • PURITAN VALUES ARE PART OF OUR AMERICAN CHARACTERISTICS

  3. PURITAN VALUES • SELF RELIANCE • INDUSTRIOUSNESS • SIMPLICITY IN ALL THINGS • LANGUAGE • CLOTHING • LIFESTYLE • TEMPERANCE • MODERATION WITH ALCOHOL AND FOOD

  4. A BRIEF HISTORY OF PURITANS AND THEIR BELIEFS • THE TERM PURITAN REFERS TO A GROUP OF PROTESTANT REFORMERS WHO SOUGHT TO PURIFY THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND (NAT’L GOV’T RELIGION OF ENGLAND—HEADED BY KING/QUEEN). • EVENTUALLY SOUGHT TO SEPARATE THE CHURCH FROM THE GOV’T COMPLETELY • FACED PERSECUTION AND TORTURE IN ENGLAND FOR TREASON • They called themselves pilgrims • Pilgrim: one who goes on a physical or spiritual journey to a holy place for the purposes of salvation

  5. Why did the Puritans come to the Colonies? • WANTED A SIMPLER FORM OF WORSHIP • WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE INDIVIDUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD • WANTED TO EXPUNGE ALL CORRUPTION FROM THE CHURCH

  6. Arrival in American Colonies • Led by Bradford, the Separatists, a group of pilgrims, try to find religious freedom in Holland • Left Holland after 12 years for American Colonies • Bradford is elected governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1621—held position for next 30 years • Wrote “Of Plymouth Plantation” for the express purpose of inspiring future generations of Puritans • Understanding what their ancestors had endured for religious freedom • Maintain the faith

  7. KEY BELIEFS • PROVIDENCE: DIVINE DIRECTION OR GUIDANCE; THE WILL OF GOD • BRADFORD ATTRIBUTES SEVERAL EVENTS, BOTH GOOD AND BAD, TO PROVIDENCE • SQUANTO’S ARRIVAL • DEATH OF THE PROFANE SAILOR AND THE RESCUE OF HOWLAND

  8. Key Beliefs • PREDESTINATION: The doctrine that God has foreordained all things, especially that God has elected certain souls to eternal salvation. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy1IOIlpKaw • THIS WAS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT FOR PURITANS, BECAUSE THEY NEVER REALLY KNEW IF THEY WERE SAVED OR DAMNED • IF YOU WERE SAVED…. • YOU WOULD “FEEL” GOD’S GRACE • YOUR OUTWARD BEHAVIOR WOULD BE A LIVING MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S GRACE—YOU ARE “REBORN” AND BEHAVE LIKE A SAINT

  9. Problems with Predestination? • SINCE NO ONE EVER REALLY KNEW IF THEY WERE SAVED OR DAMNED, SOME WOULD “FAKE IT” FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS • LED TO CLOSE SPIRITUAL EXAMINATION OF DAILY LIFE, LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE OF GOD’S GRACE • ALSO LED TO THE JUDGING OF OTHERS AND THE CONCERN ABOUT HOW YOUR NEIGHBORS PERCEIVED YOU

  10. CHARACTERISTICS OF PURITAN WRITING • BORING…DRY…BLAH! • WHY? • USED GENEVA BIBLE AS A MODEL • DIRECT, SIMPLE LANGUAGE • DID NOT UTILIZE METAPHOR OR ANY OTHER FIGURES OF SPEECH • PLAIN STYLE STRESSED CLARITY OF EXPRESSION AND AVOIDED COMPLICATED FIGURES OF SPEECH

  11. CHARACTERISTICS OF PURITAN WRITING • SAW EACH INDIVIDUAL LIFE AS A JOURNEY TO SALVATION (OR DAMNATION) AND DREW PARALLELS BETWEEN THEIR OWN LIVES AND STORIES IN THE BIBLE • EXPLORED BOTH THEIR INNER, PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND THEIR OUTWARD BEHAVIOR FOR SIGNS OF GOD’S GRACE • BECAUSE THEY SPENT SO MUCH TIME IN SELF REFLECTION, THEIR WRITING COMES IN 4 FORMS • LETTERS • DIARIES AND JOURNALS • HISTORIES • CAPTIVITY NARRATIVES • These are considered to be PRIMARY SOURCES because they offer direct, first hand knowledge of events

  12. Of Plymouth Plantation • Table Work • With your table, discuss the nature of the treaty between the Puritans and the Native Americans. This treaty clearly favors one side—how so? • List out each of the six terms of the treaty and for each term, decide if it favors the colonists or the Native Americans. Explain your reasoning • Then, Rewrite the treaty to be equally favorable to both the Native Americans and the colonists. TURN IN TABLE WORK BY END OF MOD!

  13. Mary Rowlandson • Background • King Phillip’s War: 1675-1678 • Phillip=Metacomet, Chief of Wampanoag • First Indian War after treaty between Bradford and Squanto in 1621 • Rowlandson—wife of Puritan Minister • Captivity lasted 11 weeks • Credits her survival during captivity to her sustained faith in God

  14. A Narrative of the Captivity • Book is broken into 20 removes, or journeys, the Wampanoag took MR on • First American best seller • Purpose: to thrill, to titillate, to reinforce notions of “savage Indian” • In what way would this benefit the colonists? • Themes in narrative • Fear and revulsion of New World • How does Rowlandson learn to adapt and survive while with the Native Americans? Where is there evidence that she does learn to adapt? • In what ways does the tribe seem to allow Rowlandson some freedom, either mental or physical, during her captivity? What does this tell us about her captors?

  15. A Narrative of the Captivity • Table work • Follow Rowlandson’s changing attitudes toward her captors • During initial kidnapping and 1st &3rd Removes • During 5th and 6th Removes • Ashuelot Valley • For each instance, have a marked text reference • What do you think was the primary reason for Rowlandson’s change in attitude toward her captors?

  16. OlaudahEquiano • Grew up in Eastern Nigeria • Father was a tribal leader in village • Kidnapped by African slave traders at age 11 • Family owned slaves too; constant fear of kidnapping and enslavement • Enslaved first in Africa for approx. 7 months before taken to the coast and sold to New World slave traders • First taken to Barbados, then to Virginia • Purchased his freedom after 7 years in slavery • Moved to England and became an active abolitionist

  17. OlaudahEquiano • The Middle Passage • Two month voyage from African West Coast to North America • Overcrowding • Lack of food • Harsh treatment • Disease • Despair • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXS6JAhMe1Q

  18. ANNE BRADSTREET • CONSIDERED TO BE THE FIRST EVER AMERICAN POET • DAUGHTER OF PURITAN SEPARATISTS IN ENGLAND • MARRIED AT 16 TO A PURITAN MINISTER • EMIGRATED TO COLONIES AT 18 • MOTHER OF 8 • EXPOSED TO CONTEMPORARY POETRY OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE—ONE OF HER INFLUENCES

  19. Anne Bradstreet ***POETRY WAS FROWNED ON BY THE PURITAN COMMUNITY—IT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE AN IDLE VANITY THAT OPENED THE MIND TO THE DEVIL • BRADSTREET’S POETRY WAS NEVER INTENDED FOR AN AUDIENCE • SHE VIEWED POETRY AS A TOOL FOR SELF REFLECTION • POEMS WERE TAKEN WITHOUT HER PERMISSION BY HER BROTHER IN LAW—HE PUBLISHED THEM IN ENGLAND WITHOUT HER CONSENT • THE TENTH MUSE LATELY SPRUNG UP IN AMERICA

  20. LITERARY ELEMENTS • INVERSION: CHANGING THE NORMAL WORD ORDER OF A LINE OF POETRY IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE RHYME SCHEME OR METER • EXTENDED METAPHOR: JUST LIKE A REGULAR METAPHOR, BUT IT IS DEVELOPED OVER SEVERAL LINES OF POETRY • ALLITERATION: REPETITION OF CONSONANT SOUNDS AT THE BEGINNINGS OF WORDS

  21. LITERARY ELEMENTS • METER: PATTERN OF UNSTRESSED AND STRESSED SYLLABLES IN POETRY • IAMB: A FOOT OF POETRY CHARACTERIZED BY ONE UNSTRESSED SYLLABLE FOLLOWED BY A STRESSED SYLLABLE ASSUME FIRST THAT THE POEM IS WRITTEN USING IAMBS…THEN FIGURE OUT HOW MANY STRESSED SYLLABLES THERE ARE TO DETERMINE THE METER • --3 STRESSED SYLLABLES/LINE: TRIMETER • --4 STRESSED SYLLABLES/LINE: TETRAMETER • --5 STRESSED SYLLABLES/LINE: PENTAMETER • RHYME SCHEME: pattern of end rhyme used in a poem • Assign first line the letter “a” • If the second line rhymes with the first line, it is also “a” • If the second line doesn’t rhyme with the first, label it “b”

  22. “To My Dear and Loving Husband” • P. 139—due by end of mod • Table work: partner up—no more than three • Read thru poem • 1. Complete analysis of rhyme scheme and write out rhyme scheme pattern • 2. write out first two lines of poem and scan the meter (unstressed/stressed)—then determine what the meter of the poem is (trimeter, tetrameter, or pentameter) • 3. list all archaic language used in poem—and translate the archaic language to regular English • 4. list out three comparisons (similes or metaphors) that Bradstreet makes when comparing her love • 5. What do the last two lines of the poem mean?

  23. “Upon the Burning of Our House” Table Work—Partner Up and turn to p. 140 • Paraphrase (summarize in your own words) the following lines • 1-12 37-42 • 13-36 43-54 • Write out two lines of the poem, scan them, and determine the meter • Write out the rhyme scheme of the poem (hint: pattern repeats in each stanza) • Explain how Bradstreet feels at the end of the poem about • Her attitude toward wealth and material possessions • Her religious beliefs and values • Identify and explain the extended metaphor in lines 43-50. How does Bradstreet continue the metaphor over 7 lines of poetry? • Find one example of… • Alliteration • Visual imagery • Auditory imagery

  24. Edward Taylor • Puritan Minister • Like Bradstreet, wrote poetry for self reflection • Also wrote to instruct congregation in Puritan values • Never published, just shared with friends and community

  25. “Huswifery” • Definition: the business of a housewife; female domestic economy and skill • Compares the household task of making clothing with the gift of God’s salvation. • This extended metaphor expresses Edward Taylor’s deep belief in God and celebrates the divine presence in daily life. • The poem is like a prayer imploring God to guide the speaker to do God’s will. • By submitting to God’s will, the speaker hopes to achieve eternal salvation.

  26. “Huswifery” Analysis • Extended Metaphor/Conceit (an extended metaphor that covers the entire poem) • Speaker compares herself to • spinning wheel to yarn to loom to cloth to holy robes • represent steps the speaker hopes she can follow in life to glorify God and to achieve a state of grace. • Theme: What message is Taylor trying to send to Puritan women through this poem? • That every aspect of their daily like should revolve around glorifying God and preparing themselves for salvation

  27. “Huswifery” Copy Change • Now, try your hand at poetry. • Consider some activity you love to do • Playing video games • Talking/Texting/Tweeting using your cell • Watching tv and chilling • Break the activity down into its component parts • The tv, the controllers, the game disc • Plug in the components into the copy change template

  28. Jonathon Edwards • The Great Awakening • Religious revival of Puritan values • After 100 or so years in colonies, conservative Puritans felt that the faith was waning • 1734-1750 • Wanted to persuade Puritans to return to values of the Church

  29. “Sinners in the Hands…” • Persuasive Writing: intended to convince the reader to adopt a particular opinion or to perform a certain action • Loaded language: words with strong emotional associations, meant to sway the reader • Focus on word choice • Child vs. brat or cherub—what emotional connotations do “brat” and “cherub” evoke?

  30. “Sinners in the Hands…” • Logical vs. Emotional Appeals • Logical: imply the reader is a reasonable person and will listen to facts, figures, and data that support purpose • Emotional: usually contain very little factual information and rely on loaded language that triggers fear, insecurity, etc. • Always consider the purpose in persuasive writing—What does Edwards want his congregation to do and why?

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