1. Anne Bradstreet Plain Style and Ornate Style

2. Plain Style Simple words in clear order
Most Puritan’s wrote in plain style because, as they saw it, God’s word could not be improved by human decoration
Wished to make divine words so everyone could understand it
Homely and raw “from the wilderness”

3. According to Benjamin Franklin (not a Puritan) plain style writing should be “smooth, clear, and short.”
Perhaps this style has persisted over time b/c it appeals to American democracy, its straightforwardness, its ability to be understood by all, and the fact that it doesn’t hide the naked truth.

4. Compare and Contrast the two Psalm 23 A Psalm of David (pgs. 8 & 9)
What is the metaphor?
What about imagery?
Symbolism?
How is The Day of Doom (1662) stylistically different from the 23 A Psalm of David even though it is written in Puritan plain style?

5. The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America
1st volume of poems published by an American
One of the 1st volumes of poetry in English written by a woman
Anne Bradstreet

6. Bradstreet’s poetry
Some longer poems written in learned style on subjects such as medicine, history, and qualities of fire (in 1st published edition of poetry)
2nd edition (28yrs later) contains shorter poems written in a simpler style, about children, husband, and home
Recurring theme: Puritan belief that one must not become too attached to things of the world

7. To be a woman
Bradstreet, as other Puritan women, believed that men were superior to women
She felt it improper for a woman to appear in print
Too bad for her beliefs…she is considered the 1st American poet.

8. Ornate Style Meaning can be simple but clouded by the ornate style
References to ideas/works people may not know
Odd sentence structure
parallelism

9. Literary Terms
Diction---kinds of words chosen by an author (long, short, common, uncommon, etc…)
Bradstreet’s diction is of the plain style---short and conversational
Iambic couplet
Iambic refers to rhythmical pattern of unaccented syllable followed by accented
Couplet refers to two successive lines that rhyme
Both of Bradstreet’s poems are iambic couplets