Early Colonial Literature The Puritan Period

How did religion shape the literature of the Puritan period?  We will look into themes, formats, and purposes of the Puritan writers to answer this question.

So when was the Puritan Part of the Colonial Period?  Early 1600s to about 1750 or so.  The reason we call this part of the Colonial Period (which represents all of the time that the British ruled the colonies in North America) the PURITAN period is because of the overarching influence of the Puritans and their specific religious practices.

Puritan terms and influences…  Predestination: the idea that God knows where each person will end up in eternity.  The Puritans believed that those who were blessed with wealth and prosperous family lives were a part of those “elected” to go to heaven.  This concept can be seen in “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards.

Puritan terms and influences…  Protestant work ethic: The Puritans believed that hard work was a way of winning God’s favor, and wealth accumulated through hard, honest work was seen as a sign of Godliness and was encouraged of all Puritans.  This Protestant work ethic is a major foundation of the American way of life.

The Protestant Work Ethic  How is the Protestant work ethic still evident in American’s lives today? What are some examples?

Puritan terms and influences…  Genres that the Puritans favored:  Sermons, religious poetry, historical narratives, and journals  THEY DID NOT FEEL THAT LITERATURE WAS FOR ENTERTAINMENT. Novels and plays were frowned upon, due to a perceived lack of practical religious value.

The New England Primer  This text is indicative of how large a role religion played in these people’s lives.  The religious subtexts began for young Puritans as early as the time that a child began to learn the ABC s.

The New England Primer

Puritan Writers to remember…  William Bradford Of Plymouth Plantation (JOURNAL)  From The Captivity of Mary Rowlandson (HISTORICAL NARRATIVE)  Anne Bradstreet “Upon the Burning of Our House,” and “To My Dear and Loving Husband.” (POETRY)  Jonathan Edwards “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (SERMON)

Puritan terms and influences…  Plain style: William Bradford (Of Plymouth Plantation) is well known for his plain style.  This simply means that his prose is not ornamental, and is not intended to be showy.  This falls in line with the Puritan belief that one should not call attention to oneself.  This is opposite of Shakespeare, whose writing in England was very showy and meant to showcase his skill as a writer.

From A Narrative of the Captivity of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson  By 1665 there were approximately 25,000 Puritans in Massachusetts Bay Colony.  The Wampanoag Indians were starving and displaced from their land.  Chief Metacomet (called King Philip by the Puritans) led a revolt in 1675 and kidnapped Puritans in order to get ransom money for much-needed supplies and food.

Rowlandson Narrative (continued)  Tone: a writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject matter. A writer’s tone might convey a variety of attitudes such as sympathy, humor, or anger.  After reading her story, how would you describe Rowlandson’s tone in this personal narrative?

Anne Bradstreet ( )  The first American poet  Wrote her poems while raising 8 children “on the edge of the wilderness.”  Her poems combined domestic details of her daily life and spiritual details of her religious life.  Writing was considered an unsuitable occupation for women at the time, and she assured her readers she did not shirk her responsibilities to write poetry.

“Upon the Burning of Our House”  inversion: changing the usual order of words in order to maintain the rhyme scheme and rhythm of the poem. Example: “For sorrow near I did not look” instead of “I did not look nearby for sorrow”  metaphor: a figure of speech that compares two things by saying that one thing is another. An extended metaphor develops a metaphor by adding more details.

“Upon the Burning of Our House” (continued)  narrative poem: a poem that tells a story. A narrative poem has characters, conflict, and plot; all of the necessary components of a story.

“To My Dear and Loving Husband”  couplet: two consecutive rhymed lines of poetry Example: “I prize thy love more than mines of gold / Or all the riches that the East doth hold.”  lyric poem: a poem that expresses the thoughts and feelings of the speaker. A lyric poem does not tell a story.

Jonathan Edwards (1703 – 1758)  “I think it is a reasonable thing to fright persons away from hell... Is it not a reasonable thing to fright a person out of a house on fire?”  Known for his “preaching of terror.”  Calvinist: preached that God was all- powerful and humans had no free will.  Believed in predestination.

Emotional Appeals in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God  appeal to fear: designed to persuade by invoking fear through threatening people’s safety or happiness if they make the wrong choice.  Edwards uses vivid imagery and similes and metaphors and to scare his audience into being saved.

Emotional Appeals in Sinners... (continued)  Limited time offer: buy this product (or make the decision to believe in God) now because it is only offered for a short time (or you might die today and go to Hell!).  Bandwagon: “All of your friends are doing it, so you should, too!”

Your Persuasive Appeal  You want to persuade someone (a parent, friend, teacher, coach, etc.) to make a certain decision.  In a 1 page, hand-written speech, use vivid imagery and the three emotional appeals we have discussed today to persuade your audience.  You may want to use similes or metaphors that appeal to your audience’s deepest fears, as well.

Persuasive Speech Possible Topics  Don’t text while driving  Don’t smoke or dip  Work hard in school and graduate  Give me more playing time  Buy me a new car  Go on a date with me **Remember: All appeals must be based on emotion only.

How did religion shape the literature of the Puritan period?  Using your notes and your knowledge of what we’ve read and discussed in this unit, ANSWER THE ABOVE QUESTION  Answer in complete sentences, and use specific examples from your notes.

How did religion shape the literature of the Puritan period?  Religious values were put above all else in every area of these people’s lives.  This led to a focus on practical literature (sermons, historical narrative, journals, and poetry with a spiritual message).  This also led to a certain style of writing that mirrored the Puritans style of living. (plain style)  Themes were religious in nature and reflected Puritan values.