Ma-re Mount

The Natives lived very differently compared to the separatists. Natives were considered uncivilized but maintained a form of life that the civilized took of interest. The Natives never became materialistic no matter how plentiful their woods and waters were, as did the separatists. The Natives dressed themselves, hiding their private parts, as would a civilized society, they even believed in a God known as Kytan, where after the good died would live without the worldy paines.

The Salvages became sinful and killed many Natives by deceiving the Natives with a feast at Wessaguscus. The Natives seemed much friendlier than the Separatists.

At Ma-re Mount, the Natives invited all to join and be apart of their inhabitate, but Separatists envied the value of their settlement. Ma-re-Mount became a great place for trade. The Seperatists made up a story against the leader to send him back to England, which they failed to do because of him first escaping, and then them not providing transportation to England left him stranded on an island. On this island he was helped by other Natives.

Morton's writings shows how unhumanly the New comers were. They killed the Natives in Wessaguscus and then attacked the host of Ma-re Mount because of envy. This reading showed how bad the Christains were compared to the Natives who even help other tribes as seen when the Host was helped by saveges on an island.

Us vs Them

One thing I noticed while reading Morton’s "New England Canaan" and Bradford’s "Of Plymouth Plantation" is the need for both men to have clear antagonists. The groups they are speaking for are the protagonists; for Morton the Native American’s are the ones we feel sympathy towards, for Bradford, the Pilgrims are the ones struggling. In both narrations these groups butt heads and both authors want us to see their respective groups as being the “good guys,” or at least the one's "in the right." Their conflicts are with each other, but they also conflict with other groups: Bradford also displays the sailors as an antagonistic bunch. They are drunkards, not even sparing a bottle of beer for a sick man (though I don’t see why a sick man feels the need to get a buzz on) and they constantly bully the Pilgrims. This is something Bradford continually does throughout his historical narrative: makes it seem as if every group is against the Pilgrims.

One of the events that both men mention is the events at Merry-mount, or Ma-re Mount. Here both men try to paint themselves as the protagonist; they are both “in the right”. Morton describes the “Seperatists” as a deceitful, greedy, threatening group bent on conquering the plantation, while Bradford criticizes Morton’s pigheadedness and shows that Morton was the one who forced him into storming the plantation. Though both men claim they are the noble ones, both men are diluting themselves. It’s clear that Bradford wants to control trade with the Indians, but he’s not going to admit it (as and aside, did anyone else notice how Bradford keeps telling these long-winded stories, then at the end of them mentions something about wasting too much time telling them? He wants to “keep things short” but keeps going off on tangents to tell about how everything is stacked up against him and it is only through his faith in God that he gets through them). And while through the lens of history we can see the Morton was actually the tragically noble one, fighting on the side destined to lose, it’s also apparent that he elevates his own nobility and charity.

Admittedly, I read both texts with a sympathetic eye towards the Native Americans, so it was very hard to see anything honest or noble in the stories Bradford told. It may very well be true that deceit and greed were displayed on both sides, but that’s not how it’s remembered: we remember the Native Americans for being the poor, technologically inferior victims to the advantageous, calculating British Empire.

God's Promise To His Plantations

This Sermon by John Cotton is centralized on the theme of lawfully having a place to live and a humans right to live in a certain place. The article starts by explaining that the world was created for us, and that everyone faithul to god can have a place. There is the story of Isaac who built a well not so far from another property owner who justifies his act. He is justified because Issac according to the article, "Didft thou find that God made room for thee, either by lawful dfcent, or purchafe, or Gift, or other Warrantable Right."

The sermon also spoke of the Godly reasons one should move. The reasons one should move is for thhe gaining of knowledge, the travel for mercandize, planting of a colony, the imployment of his talents and gifts better elsewhere, and for the liberty of the ordinances.

The sermon also speaks of evils to be avoided, and these include, when decieveing people threaten the area, men that are overburdened with debts, soverraign authority, special providence of god, incllination to a particular course, the calling of God.

And once a person inhabits a land lawfully, they are given the right to enjoy their land in peace and safety. And these people shall be very fruitful. THis sermon is trully a reminder of God's Promise or gift to man for doing his good deeds.

Shepard and Family Values

Something I've noticed throughout the works of the puritans is that they are very family oriented. When we read Bradstreet she wrote a poem to her children. After the poem she writes an excerpt describing her life to her children. Taylor writes poetry about his children as well. The idea of family appears important to the puritans. Especially proclaiming about mistakes they may have made. It was increasingly important that the puritans tell their children that they as humans made mistakes but that God led them through and helped them.

In Shepards piece he describes his sons birth first. He explains why God took away his mother, and asks him to not blame God. Doing so would not solve anything. Shepard then begins to discuss his life. The puritans wrote down about their own lives. By writing their own experiences they are assisting their future generations to understand the work of God. Along with this they are showing thier offspring that they have made mistakes but that God has led them throughout their struggles. These struggles they understand as the workd of God and how he has a plan for everything.

Family values within the puritan lifestyles appears in many of their works. Family life was important to them and it increased their beliefs in God. If God took away a person of that family they felt that it was due to a specific reason. They never questioned why. They always took the work of God as something to be learned by.

Shepard and his faith

While reading Thomas Shepard's autobiography, it's easy to notice how he struggled with his faith. At certain times he thinks he is unworthy of Christ's love, or he questions Christ's wisdom/righteousness/sanctification, and he even considers atheism. He realizes, though, that it is the Lord who is responsible for all of this "questioning of faith": it is His way of testing us.

Shepard realizes that this test is not a justification of ourselves to God, but rather a justification for our own self-realization. If we can't justify our faith internally, than God is not going to bother testing us. Early in his life, he attributes seemingly trivial things to God's charity (he basically prays to God to help him develop better note-taking skills) and does not realize that because of his belief that God answers his prayers, he becomes a better person. God is not shaping us to be better people: he is shaping our belief in ourselves that we can be better people. Just because we pray to God to solve a problem and it gets solved does not mean that God has taken a special interest in us as an individual. But by believing that God has noticed us, we start to believe that we deserve His notice. This circular logic makes it seem as if faith is born from our want of faith: God is there because we want him to be there. This doesn't make it false faith, but after we realize that God does have a plan, we will "follow the Lord to remote and strange [places],"(53) where we normally would not go. This pays off for Shepard when he meets his wife in a place he describes as "a vile and wicked town and country,"(54).

Through faith, we can see how the Lord beats us down so that we can pick ourselves up; "the Lord [puts] forth his strength in [our] extreme weakness,"(50). The themes of testing faith and the ups and downs of finding God are both attributed to helping the "heart exercise" itself. Shepard wants us to realize for ourselves that we can't sit around waiting for God to come along, lift us up, and dust us off; we have to realize for ourselves that God is behind everything, both good and bad, and the ups and downs in life are all a part of His plan for us to believe in ourselves.

Christian Calling

At first I was a little skeptical about reading a sermon, but when I read further into what Cotton wrote I began to understand its importance. John Cotton seemed to speak to the people as an equal to them. He did not try to speak above them like some ministers do but rather spoke of everyone as one. He explains that having faith was more or a "noble calling" and that when you find God you are eager to do more with your life, like working for god. He says that when you have a job you feel you have a purpose. I can agree with that. I also feel accomplished when I do something constructive with myself instead of being lazy. I feel that the people listening to Cotton's speech would have really gotten into what he was saying. He speaks clearly and gets to the point of he wants to say, there is not extra language added to dazzle the people with his knowledge. He is very convincing on what he is saying and I feel that he was a well liked man among his people.

Anne Bradstreet

Anne Bradstreet is a woman who despite prejudices at the time against woman still kept writing. Her words are inspiring and deep. I especially like how she incorporates her own personal experiences for her writing. I think that her writing gives this time period a different outlook. Alot of the writings have to feal with death and loss of some sort. She has so many writings dedicated to the sad and young deaths of her grandchildren. Anne Bradstreet had so many tragic losses in her life and the fact that she still remained so strong and lived to write about her experiences is extraordinary to me. Upon the Burning of Our House, was on of my favorite exerpts. There was such strong emotion and sent chills down my back as i continued to read. I imagined myself being awakaned in the silent night by a noise and how I would have reacted. This is the first time I am being introduced to alot of these early writers and she is my favorite so far.

Eliza a Virago

Out of the three authors that we read for today, I enjoy Anne Bradstreet the most. By the way her diction and form are presented, I seem to think that her writing is writing of newer authors. Her word choice and the flowing of her poems is quite impressive knowing that she wrote them over three hundred years ago. My favorite of her writings is “In Honour of...Queen Elizabeth.” At first I figured that this poem was going to be boring and irrelevant to anything at all, but as much as I hate to say it, I “feel” as if Bradstreet wrote this poem about forty years ago. She is well ahead of her time. I think that I know Queen Elizabeth on a more personal level and that she is no longer just a person in a history book. My favorite part is when Bradstreet calls Queen Elizabeth a virago, which is described in the footnote as a person of stature with courage and strength, and that is not how I imagined Queen Elizabeth. I enjoyed Bradstreet more than the other authors, but that might just be because I am tired of reading about men. In the end I enjoy the writing style of Bradstreet more than Taylor.

Anne Bradstreet Rebel or Not?

I found the poetry of Anne Bradstreet most intriguing in our readings for this week. She is a fine poet with great talent and obviously great knowledge. I found her knowledge of Greek mythology and classical writers to be quite astounding for a woman of the period. There are many instances in Bradstreet's writing where she seems like she would be a typical Puritan woman, devoted to God and to her husband. Other times there are points where I see Bradstreet's poetry being highly controversial, at least in the context of time she was living. Her poetry was only published in England while she was a live and were not published in America until after her death. I think there is good reason for it. One, the Puritans had little use for art. Two, I don't see many Puritans being okay with the idea of a woman writing and being published. Finally thirdly, I think there is a lot of content in her poem's that would perhaps get her into trouble with the Puritan society. Her feminism for one in her poem about Queen Elizabeth I'm sure would have raised a few eyebrows. The poem emphasizes the strength that women can have and tries to convey the message that women are just as capable as man and could be strong. This goes against my view of what a Puritan society would believe. Also the poem raises Queen Elizabeth up to an almost divine status, even using the word deity. I'm sure that most Puritans would object to such language in that it suggests idol worship. I also sense a bit of questioning of God's will in her poetry about her grandchildren who died at young ages. She proclaims it to be God's will and accepts it and while there is nothing specific in the poem that would point to a questioning, to me there is an implied tone in her feverish acceptance of God's will that almost seems to question what kind of God would will this. Bradstreet is an extraordinarily interesting figure and I think she gives much insight into the lives and thoughts of Puritan women.

Puritan sensibility and style

Reading the works of Bradstreet, Taylor, and the Psalms gives a glimpse into the Puritan thoughts on art and piety. The Psalms, works meant to be widely read, were rather plain. The bland style is acknowledged, but is seen as preferred due to the literal translations the Puritans preferred. Next was the work of Bradstreet. Her work was never really meant for publication, but it was spread throughout the colonies. Part of the reason for the spreading of her works is the devotion to God she exhibits, and partly due to her skill. While she may not have intended to have her work published, she did eventually publish further, going so far as to answer her critics. Much like the Psalms, she kept the form fairly simple and straightforward, and tried to keep her message relating to God and the proper relationship as much as possible. It is true she did speak for women, but first and foremost she spoke of the relationship with God people should have. Taylor, finally, wrote great amounts, but was never published, and, apparently, did not try to become published. His style, of the three, was the most ornate and possibly interesting. He, like Mather, had a strong understanding of classical and biblical references, and worked them into his poetry. Unlike Bradstreet, his poems required a stronger background in the classics, and he paid more attention to form and diction. His works do speak to the proper relationship to God and man, and give praise to God in all of His power, but they are also an art form in themselves. This, I believe, is what separates Taylor from his contemporaries, and may also be a reason he never attempted to publish his works. In a world which cherished simplicity and praise that is straight to the point, Taylor was a wordsmith, and ultimately, an unheard voice among his peers.

Anne Bradstreet: One of the earliest feminists

I noticed a recurring theme in Bradstreet's writing. A lot of her poems touch on the idea of sexism. In pre-colonial times, most of the world was quite sexist; believing that women were inferior. But there were many women, like Bradstreet, who were educated and powerful. In the prologue to her book she speaks on the attitudes of men towards women: "For such despite they cast on female wits: / If what I do prove well, it won't advance, / They'll say it's stol'n, or else it was by chance." (lines 28 - 30). She talks about how if she were to do something great then men would discredit it, insisting she cheated or was lucky. But during this time there was a woman of great power and wisdom for women to look up to: Queen Elizabeth. Bradstreet wrote lots of kind words about her Queen. She even went so far as to say "...thou wert a fleshly Diety:" (line 8, the proem). Here she compares the Queen to a God. "The Poem" goes on to talk about the greatness of Queen Elizabeth. Bradstreet writes about her wisdom, power, love by her people, and good she did for England. She writes about her military victories and goes on to ask "Was ever people better rul'd than hers?" (line 41). She frequently ties in this theme of sexism in her poems about Elizabeth. In "The Poem" she writes "She hath wip'd off th' aspersion of her sex, / That women wisdom lack to play the rex." (lines 29 - 30). Reading Bradstreet you can really tell how strong her love and admiration was for the Queen. Bradstreet also writes about being a wife and a daughter and more importantly; a mother. She wrote several pieces on her children, from a poem on their birth to a letter to her children to her grandchildren. Elizabeth Bradstreet was a wise woman and a great writer and quite possibly one of the earliest pre-colonial feminist minds.

I am obnoxious to each carping tongue:

Anne Bradstreet seems to have been an incredibly brave and suprisingly independent woman, considering she was a Puritan in the 1600s. I enjoyed her poetry greatly, especially the fifth stanza in her Prologue

I am obnoxious to each carping tongue

Who says my hand a needle better fits,

A poet's pen all scorn I should thus wrong

If what I do prove well, it won't advance

They say it's stol'n, or else it was by chance

I was impressed at Bradstreet's ability to acknowledge those who doubt her, showing her understanding of a somewhat unique situation. It must have been very hard to be accepted not only as a poet, but as a woman, in a such a repressive society.

I also loved the poem to her husband. I think it's a common misconception, by me included, that there was no romance amongst the Puritans. However "To My Dear and Loving Husband" is so sweet and romantic, it makes me imagine a couple who is passionate and deeply in love, instead of the stereotypical image the word "Puritan" brings to mind. It's obvious how devoted to her husband Anne Bradstreet was.

Poetry can be such a personal thing, and is often very hard to share. The fact that Anne Bradstreet not only shared her talent, but was accepted for it in the 1600s is reassuring. After all, women's rights have come so far since then...it's nice to see that it must have started somewhere!

Bay Psalm vs. the Bible

The Bay Psalm Book, as HEATH tells us, was, next to the Bible, the most commonly owned book in seventeenth century New England. The way these two texts were studied and valued, however, could not have been more different.

The scholarly, rigid way the Bible was meant to be studied surely made more than a few people bored, especially when you compare the active way the Bay Psalm Book encouraged people to get up and sing. This encouragement to sing, and to learn through that singing, is right in line with the active, rather than the passive, role that the Protestant's took when they worshiped and is in extreme juxtaposition when you imagine an isolated preist quietly studying the Bible.

Another unique way the Bay Psalm book was studied has to do with the many revisions that it went through. Frequent revisions from 1683 to 1830 served to update the language and phrasing of the text. This makes complete sense when you realize how much our current experiences and concerns shape our views of the past. By adapting the text based on geographical areas, different ethnic groups, and different languages, this "sing-a-long" worship attracted people from all over New England.

Anne Bradstreet: One lucky women

I would have to say my favorite readings were from Anne Bradstreet. I find it amazing that a women during this time had so much education and such a way with words. I also find it very interesting that her husband did not discourage her from writing but instead set her up with his brother to help get published. These two must have been very unique for their time, and have loved each other very much. This love can be found in the poems "To My Dear and Loving Husband" and "A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment." In both these poems she states the line "If ever two were one, then surely we" or something very similar. The fact that they both saw each other as one means that they must have seen each other as equal. I think that because she was given such good education opportunities from her parents, and had a husband who saw her as a person (not just property) gave her the strength to write so well.
I feel that her writing caught my eye more than Taylor, first off, because of the titles. Through her work we can see her life and get a great understanding of the Puritan life. Her writings have dates, people, places, events, and religious allusions all of which give us this understanding. With this said I feel that she was not the typical women (due to her education level and understanding husband) of this time and one must keep that in mind when basing her works on the Puritain way of life.

The Optimistic Faith

Despite all the tragedies surrounding the Puritans as they made their trek to the New World, the puritans somehow were able to maintain a certain level of optimism. Perhaps it was this optimism that allowed anybody to survive the harsh New England winters, at a time when food, supplies, and shelter were close. Even through the optimism, people did not always make it out alive. Why stay optimistic? It was the Puritan’s faith that allowed them to stay at some level of sanity (or insanity?) when dealing with the tragedy of death. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the poetry of Anne Bradstreet. On page 432 in the Heath Anthology, Bradstreet makes references to the deaths of two of her grandchildren. Instead of blaming God or blaming the lack of a God for her family’s misfortune she chooses to accept the tragedies as facts of life and as God’s will. This optimism helps her deal with the issues she needs to. Perhaps the puritan’s perseverance despite their harsh reality is indeed tied to their faith. Without this faith it could be argued that maybe they would have given up.

Anne Bradstreet

Anne Bradstreet’s poems serve as a look into the values of a Puritan woman. She provides us with a commentary on the world she lives in and the things she values – family, writing, and Puritanism. Bradstreet conveys her thoughts in a way that makes her work appealing to her audience. Always pulling from the Puritan principles she is able to shed light into her life, allowing her audience to see things from her perspective. She is aware of her role as a Puritan, but she also contemplates her role as a human.

One of the most admirable things about Bradstreet is her confidence regarding the ability of women. In The Prologue to her book, Bradstreet writes, “Men can do best, and women know it well. Preeminence in all and each is yours; yet grant some small acknowledgment of ours” (lines 40-42). Bradstreet is not trying to reshape the gender roles in her society, but she is asking that women be given more credit. She holds Queen Elizabeth as a model for everything women are capable of. Bradstreet’s poems honoring the Queen are evidence of Bradstreet’s stance. She says, “Now say, have women worth? Or have they none? Or had they some, but with our Queen is’t gone?” (line 95). If they were once deemed as having “worth”, will they still be valued after the Queen has died? Bradstreet’s questioning of the worth of women shows that she is aware about the differences in the roles of society but also lets us see that she feels she (and women in general) has something to be valued; otherwise, why would she vocalize her concern?

My Take on Anne Bradstreet

Anne Bradstreets poetry was my favorite to read. I really enjoyed reading about her life as well. I think it is essential to know about women writers. From women's perspectives we get a different look at the world. Through Anne's poetry I felt as if at times she questioned her beliefs, or at least questioned her purpose as a woman. In her poem "To My Dear Children" she writes a brief explanation about the poem, and within this essay she admits that "vanities and follies of youth take hold of me". I found this profound, in the world of the puritans I feel in the readings we have read so far, that no one admits that they too have sinned. Bradstreet goes directly out and states that she herself has sinned and that due to these sins such and such has happened. She is aware of what her beliefs expect of her but she is at the same time aware of herself as a human being.

My favorite part of her essay to her children was when she writes, "When I have got over this block, have have I put in my way, that admit this to be the true God whom we worship, and that be his word, yet why not might the Popish religion be right? They have the same God, the same Christ, the same word. They only interpret it one way, we another". This statement is the most profound. As a women she is questioning things. She is not right out stating that her way of life is the best, it makes sense for her and her family, but may not make sense for other people. Despite this though they still believe in the same God as she does, they just are exhibiting a very different way of life. With these statements Bradstreet is not judging those who do not follow the Puritan beliefs, what I feel she is saying is that there are different paths of life but they will mostly lead to God.

The Bay Psalm Book

I find it interesting that in John Cotton's introduction to the psalms, he justifies their translations by saying that they have respect for the original prayers. However, he derides other translations, such as the Sternhold-Hopkins one, saying that they paraphrase the word of God. It seems to me, after looking at the differences between the biblical text and the translation of psalm 23 that the Bay Psalm book translations are paraphrased as well. For example, the word evil is replaced with the word ill in the Bay Psalm book, most likely to help children understand it better. This type of change in the translations seem to be common according to the introduction of the chapter. It leads me to wonder what Cotton means by accusing Sternhold-Hopkins of paraphrasing and taking the meaning out of the word of God.

The Author to Her Book

From the assigned Heath readings, I enjoyed the poetry from Anne Bradstreet the most. Easily, my favorite poem is “The Author to Her Book”. I believe the poem to be about a personified work of literature, and from the title the reader can assume the work is a book. The narrator of the poem is the one that creates the piece of literature. The narrator views the literature as a child, shown by the passage “My rambling brat (in print) should mother call” (line 8). As one reads the poem one takes note of the odd relationship between the narrator and the book personified as a child. The passage, “I cast thee by as one unfit for light,/ Thy visage was so irksome in my sight” (lines 9-10) illustrates that the narrator is embarrassed of the book; in fact, the narrator is annoyed by the work and realizes the book is terrible and an embarrassment. The mother of the book tries to edit it but while doing so makes it worse than it started. I feel the poem ends on a rather funny note, that the narrator, or mother, realizes the literature is terrible but sends it off anyway because the narrator needs money. The gender choice of the narrator is also of paramount importance. Conveying the literature as a child and the author as the mother creates an abstract relationship that stronger in the eyes of the reader than a male author and a work of literature. Having a stronger relationship makes the work much more embarrassing.

Anne Bradstreet

I think it is a big feat when a woman of such stature becomes the best known of early North American poets, and the first in the British colonies to have a book of poetry published. Considering her poetry and book writing flourished in the 1600's, a time when women were not recognized at all and their primary job was to fall in the shadows of men and not be mobile in their classes. I really enjoy how Bradstreet kept everyone informed about the Puritan religion, the religion that she so typically inspired herself with, but she also let people know how women could assert themselves in certain situations. I believe the main thing that drew people to her writings and made her become the best known of early North American poets was the fact that she not only took her personal experiences and elaborated on them, but she also related them to the ideals of Puritanism and gave people a happy medium of things to learn from. I thoroughly enjoyed her poems in honor of Queen Elizabeth. The one that struck me the most was "The Poem." This one really inspired me because on line 27, she writes: "Nor say I more than duly is her due, Millions will testify taht this is true. She hath wip'd off th'aspersion of her sex, That women wisdom lack to play the rex." In this verse, she is bringing her feminine ideals into play and demonstrating how strong and powerful of a woman Queen Elizabeth was. It is writings like these that began to shape our early societies by bringing a feminist view point into the mix when for so long, our society was dependent on men to play the dominant roles. Also, in Bradstreet's "Her Epitaph," she discusses how the death of Queen Elizabeth was a huge loss for her society and we see this when Bradstreet writes, "The greater was our gain, our loss the more." In other words, Queen Elizabeth left a legacy that would last forever with all of the good things she did for her society, but losing her would be a tragedy because there would never be another ruler like herself. I feel that Bradstreet had a very optimistic point of view when she wrote all of her poems and from these poems, I got the feeling that she had an extremely good outlook on life.

Anne Bradstreet's Intentions

Anne Bradstreet’s The Prologue seems like an attempt to say “yeah I’m a woman writing, isn’t this silly?” She is writing like a person in an occupied territory knowing that she must praise the enemy and fall in line with their beliefs in order to get what she wants. If she had started off with an attack on the popular belief system, that woman are inferior to men, she would have had a much harder time. There is a difference between someone saying this is too good to be written by a woman and not being given the chance to write at all. People don’t like things that go against their socially constructed belief systems so her efforts to belittle her work are an attempt to sneak past. She calls her poetry “lowly lines” as if to say don’t worry about this meaningless work (Line 45). The Prologue strikes me as a sneak attack because her following poems ask for equality and recognition. Bradstreet uses Queen Elizabeth to illustrate strong women who can perform just as well, and in some cases better, than men. She does still begin the poem by admitting to her inferiority, “To sing of wars…for my mean pen are too superior things”. If Bradstreet had intended for her work to be published I could believe that she was trying to appease the masses long enough to have her voice heard. However, she didn’t want to release her work, her brother had it secretly published in England and although she received attention she had nothing else published. If she had truly wanted women to be looked at in a higher regard, she would have used that power. It is easier to write about how you feel when you are writing for yourself. Would she have changed the poems if she knew who would be reading them?

Anne Bradstreet & Edward Taylor

Anne Bradstreet, known as one of the best American poets, settled in the Massachusetts Bay colony with her husband Simon. During her time, Puritans did not appreciate the talent of women and often ignored or disclaimed that their works were theirs. The brief account on Anne Bradstreet's life gives note of her poetry book called, "The Tenth Muse Lately sprung Up in America," where Anne wrote a preface to deface those who would accuse her of not being the author. She speaks of her greatness as a women, mother, and writer. Her poetry is of many themes but all of which tie into her life of Puritanism. Her greatness also arises in her individuality of being her own poet. She used her life experiences as the key to help write her poems and to transfer her knowledge of Puritanism.
Edward Taylor, an unpublished writer until 1937, was a man that took on many roles in life. He was a farmer, rural physician, and minister. His poems were of a very lyrical form. He wrote love poems and allegories on insects and objects. He wrote a well known poem, " Upon Wedlock, & Death of Children," based from his life experience of having five children who died at infancy. This poem resembled elegies from Anne Bradstreet 1678 second edition of poems. He is also known for the paraphrases of the Psalms. His poems also were of a debate over salvation. Taylor believed that one must conduct self-examination to rid out the sins of ones soul. Taylor became most known from his poems of Preparatory Meditations-what ones must do to partake of the lord's supper.
These two poets contributed greatly to the new world with their poems and writings on Puritanism.

The Bay Psalm Book

There is no one perfect translation for any of the psalms in the Old Testament, and there isn’t just one kind of psalm. They are all religious works, poems, or songs that are written down and eventually set to music which might be hymns to be sung by a congregation, or “Songs of Ascent” to be sung by pilgrims. If they are not either of those then they are viewed upon as being private prayers, pieces of Israel’s history that one can recall upon in a lyrical form. The time of when these 150 individual psalms were composed is anywhere from the tenth century B.C. to the sixth century B.C. or later because the whole idea that is found in each of the psalms is based on the events of King David’s dynasty to the expulsion of the Israelites in Babylon. I think that is s great that children had to become very much familiar with the Book of Psalms and treat it as a bible. Also that the Puritans actions, such as disciplining, was mostly based on this book, and that of The New England Primer. It’s so great that all the psalms have their own meanings, connections to God, and their own individual story line for that matter.

The Bay Psalm Book

Most Christians like to read a division from Psalm in the morning or right before they go to bed, some verses are simple and comforting, while others are a little harsh. The Book of Psalms has 150 divisions and it is the longest book in the Bible. It is also one of the most diverse; it talks about God and His creation, war, worship, wisdom, sin, evil, judgment, justice, and the coming of the Messiah. In my church the Pastor recommends new comers that don’t know how to pray, to read the book of Psalms, it teaches how to worship and praise God. “The singing of Psalms, through it breathe forth nothing but holy harmony, and melody: yet such is the subtlety of the enemy, and the enmity of our nature against the Lord…” The Psalms is like a songbook, after prayer at the beginning of a service a book from Psalms is read to usher out the evil and usher in the praises and allow the congregation to begin worship and praise service, which is just singing, reverence, and testimony unto the glory of God.

Bradford:Fact or Fiction

Taking into consideration that I am not at all familiar with William Bradford on a personal level, I think that Cotton Mather creates a, most likely, imaginative and high esteemed persona. Mather might have wanted the reader to visualize what kind of person Bradford was, and use it to relate to the Puritan of the time. Bradford seems like he is too nice of a guy and will not let people, even his friends, tell him that what he is doing is wrong. This is both good and bad; good because Bradford is extremely dedicated to his cause, and bad because again he is so dedicated. In the end I am not sure if I believe Cotton Mather in his portrayal of William Bradford. I would like to believe that there are those people in the world that are willing to stand for what they believe and not let others tell them that they are not right.

Mather Thoughts

As I keep reading, I begin to feel more and more drawn to wanting to read the Bible. It seems as if everything in the Bible can be related to the lives of the Puritans. If I understand correctly making connections between a person from the remote past to a person from New England time during the Puritan days is what the biographical parallel is. This biographical parallel reminded me in some way of reincarnation and the idea that the Puritans were reincarnated from the past. That they are famous and well know superiors and that is why they think that they are the true believers and leaders of the land. I also noticed that there was a connection made between Moses and Bradford. Which would give example to how the pattern of biographical parallels work. I think that Mather wanted others and himself to believe that they were inferior to others and by saying such things is how he accomplished that.

Cotton Mather

It is clear to me that Mather is definitely a leader; however I feel that Mather uses a lot of personal goals and personal greed to get what he wants out of the people of New England. I feel that even though he is highly intelligent and knows exactly what is to be done with this "country" in order for it to prosper, he also knows just what to say in order to manipulate the people to do what he wants. For example, on page 153, the text reads, "And Mather, like his predecessors, was convinced that nothing could more successfully 'animate' his readers to piety than examples of irtuous behavior drawn from the lives of saintly men." This demonstrates how Mather knows exactly what to do or say in order to get people to do what he wants. Even though, it is clear that Mather used a little bit of this manipulation, the real manipulation is the fact that Mather used a historical figure to resemble the New England personage to present to the people what he was looking for as a Puritan minister. I was really interested to see how much of a good person Mather was strictly for the fact that although he seemed consumed in making sure he was the best leader possible, he also made sure that higher individuals were leading by example and that everyone was following the rules of God as well. Another thing in this reading that struck me was that in the very beginning it seemed that Mather was almost being put on a pedastal and then towards the end we see how Mather's biography was never actually glorified. We see this on page 160 when the text says, "The subject of a Mather biography was never glorifed in and for himself but for the ulterior purpose of glorifying New England's primitive past, and this required that he be dealt with as an idealization rather than as an individual." In other words, Mather seemed to be more of an idea, rather than a person.

biographical parallel

In his biography, Manierre boils down Cotton Mather’s style by describing one brilliant literary device: the biographical parallel. This device had many positive effects on it’s readers (seen at the top of page 156), the most important of which was to “animate” them. This motivation caused the people of New England to start drawing parallels of their own in their daily lives, and they found God’s will everywhere.

Mather’s skill in reading with a Prophetic eye turned his writing into a “rhetorical method of utilizing all history as a kind of allegory prophetic to the New England experience,”(157). Suddenly, the people of the New World could believe that there were prophets among them, that they were living through the struggles that were described in the Bible. By “magnifying his subject”(155) Mather pulled the citizens out of Plato’s Cave and gave them the glasses to read.
Through biographical parallel, Mather could compare the significance of present events to those of the past, and since time is eternally present in the mind of God, it was not difficult for a man of his education to convince others’ of God’s presence/will.

Gleacius Secundus

Cotton Mather, who was at the time served as a moral advisor for the colonies, wrote an extremely short biography of the life and times of a leading Separatist named William Bradford. In Gleacius Secundus: The Life of William Bradford, Esq., Governor of Plymouth Colony, Mather talks of Bradford and his people as wanderers, forced from their homes, and looking for somewhere to live peacefully. Mather seems to sympathize with the people who had nowhere to go and had great fear of persecution. According to Mather, the people were told they would have safe haven in Holland but arrived too soon which caused the men to be separated from the women. This story seems biblical or even mythological, like The Odyssey. Bradford himself is glorified and his religious background is amplified. Mather writes that Bradford believed Christendom had been deformed and that the reformation had done little to cleanse it. This is when Bradford decided to study the bible, speak out about the wrongs of the church, and meet with others in similar mind. This then led to his voyage to Holland. All of this makes Bradford seem like some sort of prophet who went through great disasters but came out victorious. I think that the stories separation into ten sections is very important but I'm not too sure why he wrote it like this. It seems almost like he was trying to make a factual argument out of Bradford's greatness.

John Winthrop

This guy seems a little too perfect for me. However, I will take the author as being truthful and roll with it. If he indeed did do everything that was said he made the perfect leader for the settlement of a new American colony. If we take a look at America, during it's birth and the period of the revolution, many similarities can be found in the "ideal" America the founders strived to accomplish and Winthrop's views.
The first example of this I found was on page 121. The first paragraph tells how Winthrop felt about running the new colony. The previous page states that he wanted to be fairly easy on the settlers so people did not violate the laws so much. This brought about controversy among some of the other officials. Winthrop say though that the settlements should not be exactly like their homeland. He felt that things should be questioned and the settlers should be open with each other. This was the same attitude that Americans felt during the Revolution.
Another attitude was that people should help the poor and it showed signs of welfare like thought process. The notion that is is "better to give than receive" is a very honest one and Winthrop's Christian background helped the settlement to grow. He would give food out if people were hungry, yet did not want to receive anything in return. This showed that he was for the greater good and not just himself, a concept that is a foundation in a democratic society.

John Winthrop

I found the reading of John Winthrop interesting. In a generation where the media portrays what the puritans would consider "sinful", it was refreshing to see someone so pure as John Winthrop. For example, he knew the man was stealing wood, but instead of punishing the man he instead helped him. This is very saint-like, and Winthrop himself was a follower of Jesus. Many of the tasks that Mather writes about deduce that Winthrop's views were parallel to that of Jesus'. Winthrop believed that man must "see his own errors, than other men's". As well, Winthrop gave to others, and led by example for his family to do the same.

Going back to my second sentence, I feel that in today's generation we often forget the goodness that others have, instead we focus a lot on the negative.

Thoughts on Cotton Mather Readings

In Cotton Mather’s Nehemias Americanus, John Winthrop is described as a remarkable individual. Winthrop performs selfless feats, for he gives aid an entire community by giving them food and gives wood to a man who is previously forced to steal from his neighbor. While these feats are amazing, I did not find the actions of John Winthrop compelling. When I say this I mean, for I believe that Cotton Mather uses spotless image of John Winthrop to illustrate how a citizen of New England should behave and how life is better when an individual acts in a manner that preferable by God. I also believe Mather’s purpose is to demonstrate the glory of God and convert people to the one true path of salvation. As a reader, I do not find myself interested becoming a Puritan or a citizen of the New England area. I also thought if I were placed in the time period, would I convert to Puritanism? As a modern day English major being a puritan would be particularly boring and difficult. I love reading things like poetry and dramas; but as a Puritan, would not be able to read either. As an average Puritan, I feel I would study the Bible and only the Bible. In Glaeacius Secundus: The Life of William Bradford, Esq., Governor of Plymouth Colony. William Bradford tells young men to stop playing in the street and if the men were to rest they should study the Bible. The life of a Puritan must have been extremely difficult, as anything slightly fun is forfeited for God.

The Myth of Bradford and Winthrop

In reading these two biographies by Mathers I find myself feeling as though these accounts are less like biographies and more like mythic story telling. Both figures are portrayed as being unwaveringly good and are comparable to biblical figures such as Moses. In reading the article on biographical parallels I see that it was not uncommon to make such comparisons during that time. However along with the parallels is a story of men that appear to be almost biblical figures themselves. They are seemingly incorruptable and work only to further the glory of God. I wonder how true such an account can be. I'm not saying that neither were good men, they likely were, but to be described as so infallable presents them as if they were Gods themselves. It is clear that some must have found flaw with Withrop given the several examples of his having to answer courts and accusers. Mathers presents Withrops responses and tells how his spiritualness and goodness satisfied his opponents. I can't help but wonder whether he was truly such a wholly good man or if, as I think more likely, he was an intelligent and skilled orator and was able to use that skill to his advantage. I do not believe that if the latter were true that it would make Withrop a bad man but it would make him seem more like a man than Mather's account of him does. I think both biographies were embellished and do not give a true representation of who these people actually were. I am not sure if Mathers did this intentionally or if he truly viewed Bradford and Withrop in this way but either way the result was two biographies that serve to glorify New England life in the 17th century rather than to give an accurate account of these two men's lives.

Mather constantly describes both Bradford and Winthrop as having more than normal zeal and spirit for Christianity than others. It is interesting that in each case they are described as having this trait from an early age, Bradford even displaying his spirit from the age of 12. Also, both men are constantly compared to Moses and Nehemiah, leaders chosen by God. These comparisons do two things. First they show how the Puritans viewed themselves, as acting out God's will by establishing their own view of religion in the new world. Second, the comparisons suggest that it was not only the will of the people that chose these men as governors, but God who delivered them with their heightened piety, greater than the other men around them, to lead the puritans in living out God's will.

John Winthrop And William Bradford

After reading the articles, it was pretty clear that John Winthrop and William Bradford were similar when it came to their beliefs in religion and in their nations as a whole, and Mather proves this idea well to his readers. Throughout the course of history, many considerable happenings have formed and made our society what it appears to be today: free. William Bradford lived through a very symbolic time in American history and not only did he witness the time, so did anyone who read his pieces of writings, seeing as he did write about all of his experience. He was accountable for the young Plymouth colony's success through some extreme hardships. The Pilgrims were looked upon as complete abdicates from the Church of England. The success of the Plymouth was based on covenantalism - the belief that men could form compacts or covenants in the sight of God as a structure for a government without the approval of a higher authority. In similarity, John Winthrop was on a very close level. As governor of Massachusetts, Winthrop help a very strong belief in understanding God’s reasoning and purposes for the colony. The church was the center of the people’s lives in that time, and that is just how Winthrop wanted it. After reading the articles, it came clear that John Winthrop understood the ideas and intentions that Jesus Christ had for the nation, and soon enough something was going to be set up in which the individual was free to act and choose according to his free will, also having to live up to a social, lawful order. These pieces show us that both Winthrop and Bradford went through a lot to try and preach to their people the word of God, and it was never noticed as much as it should’ve been. Both of these great men of Christian history were men of integrity and humanity, and both men laid out the ground work for the generations to come. They both were prepared to deal with their people by the assistance of God and the Holy Spirit.

Religious expression was at the hearts of the men that we were to read about for this week’s class. And much like the exodus of the bible they moved. Both John Winthrop and William Bradford were religious leaders looking for a safe or safer place to worship. Both came from backgrounds that were conducive to book learning. The groups in the readings were products of colonization. Why leave? Is that the answer to all religious suffering? Is the answer to leave? It seems to me that a more powerful symbol for religious expression would be to change the norms of society from the inside out. An underground movement seems like it would have been a lot more powerful. The exodus of the puritans was in essence seemed much as in the biblical version, a wandering across an Earthly landscape. Their wandering and prayer led them to a treacherous New England land. God’s presence was with them (so they believed) and as a result many died during the colonization period. One could argue (if they believe in such a thing) that perhaps God did not want them to travel across the landscape but rather, they should have stayed put. They should have worked towards religious tolerance (intolerance?) in their own land. What good is shunning one group, when you shun another?

Nehemias Americanus

While reading I first noticed how Winthrop was describe as a person. He seemed bright and well educated with all the right opportunities one could ask for. Winthrop was a Christian but felt that there where some things he did not agree with in the church and was said to have a "hand for the common good of the nation and the interests of religion." I believe that this was more common among people back then. It seems that because religion was the main part in someone’s life that most people tended to have similar qualities to Winthrop on a general sense.

Winthrop, however, took his religious beliefs to a higher level. He continuously applies himself to get as much information he can. His reward for his good deeds was to be a leader in New England. He spent every day bidding the Lord in everything he did in house and religious duties. I sense that Winthrop really could have been just as successful today; because of all the suffering that occurred Winthrop was continuously re-elected by the people. He must have handled the hardships of the Puritans well for him to be so well liked. I do feel that because he was so well liked and did so many great things that some people almost wanted him to mess up which earned him enemies of his own. It seemed like his enemies were jealous of his achievements causing them to be resentful towards Winthrop.

Galeacius Secundus

The first thing that came to mind when I read,“When he was about a dozen years old, the reading of the Scriptures began to cause great impressions upon him; and those impressions were much assisted and improved, when he came to enjoy Mr. Richard Clifton’s illuminating ministry...” When Jesus was 12, He innocently wandered away from his father and mother to talk to the High Priests and Scholars in the Temple. These scholars were amazed of the knowledge and wisdom of God this young boy possessed. After three days of searching, Mary and Joseph found Jesus in a temple in the midst of teachers. Mary said “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” Luke 2: 48-49 William Bradford showed such dedication and commitment in his beliefs. He was able to exercise his faith and become a great man of God and didn’t care about what people said about him because he was all about doing the will of Christ.

Galeacius Secundus: The life of William Bradford, Esq., Governor of Plymouth Colony

This account of the life of Governor Bradford by Mather gives us a good understanding of the state of the times in Europe during the 1500's and New England in the 1600's. England during the rule of Queen Mary(Bloody Mary) was a dark time for the country with the great reformation in progress and many churches being molested and peoples persecuted. The separatists felt a strong desire to leave England to various countries below. Leaving their native land brought on tough times, and it was William Bradford's ancestors who were apart of these people fleeing on a ship-captained by a Dutchman- that attempted to lead them to Holland. After being captured before reaching Holland and then let go, many men ended up in Norway after a a storm led them there, where they started there life as pilgrims.
From these pilgrims, William Bradford was born in Ansterfield, and at twelve he started to become very studious of the scriptures with the help of Mr. Richard Clifton. He eventually went on his own into solitary to study the scriptures and left to Holland being captured, which eventually led him to Amsterdam. And finally after Amsterdam, he made it to Holland where he eventually left for New England to become Govenor William Bradford.
The Govenor led the Plymouth Colony for thirty seven years. Much of the success of the colony is owed to him before the rulership of the colony was given over to the supreme legislative body of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He kept the colony intact through out the many years of affairs with his great wisdom, knowledge, History, Philosopy, and theology learned thoughout his years in Europe. Bradford set up the foundation of religion in the New World.
This account greatly helps with the understanding of the transition of peoples due to religion from Europe to the New World. Bradford is compared to Moses for his great leader ship skills when running the Colony. And he is described as, "Men are but flocks: Bradford beheld their need, And long did them at once both rule and feed( Plato)."
I find this reading about Bradford so important because it was based on his beliefs that the colony was runned, greatly influencing how we got to where we did today.

Magnalia Christi Americana

After reading the other two pieces, I see some more of the same style used describing Bradford as was used for Winthrop. What is much more different is the emphasis placed on the early years of Bradford, and the historical lesson Mather gives regarding the Puritans and the Pilgrims. This piece, like the other, really gives a background on what the Pilgrims held as important values, and it also gave a little history on the early tribulations of the colony. As he did with Winthrop, Mather speaks to the death of Bradford and sums up his life and esteem he received as leader, especially in relating the length of time he served as governor.

I do want to write about the anecdote with the Minister sent over and the response from Bradford. As I understand it, Bradford told the Minister that he does agree with the French, in as far as they are allowed to have religious freedom. He goes on to state that the Pilgrims are not to be mistaken as the French church, but are followers of the word of God and Christ. He feels to follow anything else is a mistake. He also states all churches and factions make mistakes, his included, but it is only because they are man and man is fallible. He says this to show that he has learned from the mistakes he saw in the past, and does not want to be a part of a contest to show which religion is better. He says they leave everything to God, and they just try their best to do what God wants.

Nehemias Americanus and Biographical Parallel

In reading the writing on Winthrop, I noticed several things happening, which were confirmed when I read the Manierre piece after. First was the way Winthrop seemed to be portrayed in much the same manner Odysseus is in the Odyssey. There are tales of his good deeds, of how he seems to be above the other men of his time. While Odysseus was seen as making many mistakes, Winthrop doesn't seem to fall prey as easily to vanity as Odysseus. This is because it is not physical acts that are esteemed by the Puritans, but rather acts of piousness and good will, the traits that all good people should have in their pursuit of living like the Bible says they should. The piece also spoke a lot about what the Puritans held as important in society. Winthrop is a good man, who was able to make a reasonable separation of church and state, and a man who uses good judgement and reason in all instances, never being induced to make exceptions for the rich or influential. I really began to think that it would have been easy to blame the hard times on him as their leader, and there were many hard times in the early settlement years. He could have been a scapegoat for the woes of the community, but instead he was elected more than ten times by the people. This is truly a testament to his character and the fact that he lived the life held in highest regard by the Puritans.

Manierre's piece showed me a little more how the Puritan literary tradition worked. I saw the comparisons in the way Winthrop was compared to classical heroes and biblical heroes, but Manierre really showed me why he did it. The drawing of biographical parallels is quite brilliant, especially when it is to give the glory to God for creating such a great person in the new chosen people of God. This covenant is very important to the Puritans, and Mather seems to pay great homage to God with his writings. This is especially true considering how well read he is and the great number of allusions he can make and the quantity of works he has as his tools. What I found to be most important is how he drew complete biographical parallels, not simply pulling a few anecdotes from a life and comparing it favorably. This could be done with nearly anyone, but to show an entire life lived well and justly is much more convincing and gives even more evidence to the idea of holding the covenant with God.

Welcome

Dearest class,

Herein will the register of ye class's cogitations be contained, for the glorie & goodeness of studie on the thoughts & rationcinations &c. of the Saints of the Colonies of New England. Yore responses need not be of overwhelming heft, tho' they should right thoughtful bee, both in the service of thine selfe's edification & to effect a stronger bond of intellectual communion with thy neighbors.

Please keep your responses cordial but feel encouraged to disagree & clarifie if you think a classmate's thoughts might benefit; we shan't persist nor profit by our owne selves but must needs the helpe of the communion of this class.

Yours,
&c.