1. Early American Literature
1600 to 1750

2. Historical Background
English Monarchy & the Church of England:
Protestantism or Catholicism?
Puritans in the Northern Colonies:
interested in “purifying” the church of its Catholic influences
were persecuted by Anglicans
allowed to colonize the New World and to practice their religion (not freedom of religion)

3. Historical Background
Southern Colonies:
1607 Jamestown established
Unlike the Puritans, these were plantation owners, tradesmen, artisans, and slaves
Motivated by wealth, land, and opportunity

4. Early American Literature
Puritans valued writing as an extension of religion:
Journals and diaries (ex. Bradford’s “Plymouth Plantation”)
Spiritual poetry
Sermons
Disapproved of fiction and drama/plays
Literature was to be practical, expressing useful and religious ideas
Writing was a way to express praise for God’s grace and mercy upon the Puritans

5. Early American Literature
Southern colonists wrote with a different purposes:
Journals as political propaganda (ex. Smith’s “Description of New England”)
Less praise for God’s grace and more for Man’s diligence and hard work
Writings for science and discovery in the New World

6. Early American Literature
Let’s look carefully at two writers of the period with completely different purposes:
William Bradford (Puritan) writing about traveling to the New World and the struggles with setting up a colony
John Smith (Prospector and Explorer) writing about the New World and what it provides for those looking for a new life

7. Early American Literature:
Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” epitomizes the core beliefs of the Puritans. Speaking for over 6 hours, he frightened his congregation with his imagery of Hell and eternal damnation for their sins.
Let’s look closer at the Puritan Concepts

8. Puritan Concepts: God is . . . Man is . . . Salvation is . . .
Omnipotent (all powerful)
Omniscient (all knowing)
Omnipresent (all present)
Man is . . .
born into sin
glorifies God through hard work, humility, and reverence to God’s laws
totally deprived of any good; only God can create good
Salvation is . . .
only through the mercy (GRACE) of God
Bible is . . .
an absolute code, to be taken literally

9. Puritan Concepts: Satan is . . .
a real and present danger who preys on Man’s sinful nature
preys on the righteous and pious
This tension adds to the cause of
the Salem Witch Hunt in the 1690s

10. Early American Literature
Puritan Plain Style:
Communicate ideas clearly
Reference everyday objects
No elaborate imagery or metaphors
Opposite of Ornate Style of European writers
Exceptions to Puritan Plain Style:
Taylor’s “Huswifery”
Edwards’ “Sinners . . .”

11. Early American Literature
Poetic Meter:
Iamb: unstressed + stressed
Trochee: stressed + unstressed
Anapest: unstressed + unstressed + stressed
Dactyl: stressed + unstressed + unstressed

12. Early American Literature
Poetic Meter:
Iamb: unstressed + stressed
Trochee: stressed + unstressed
Anapest: unstressed + unstressed + stressed
Dactyl: stressed + unstressed + unstressed

13. Early American Literature
Poetic Meter:
Iamb: unstressed + stressed
“If ev / ver two / were one / then sur / ely we”
Anne Bradstreet
“Make me/ O Lord / Thy spin / ning wheel / complete”
- Edward Taylor

14. Early American Literature
Poetic Meter:
Iamb: unstressed + stressed
Five (Pent) Iambs = Iambic Pentameter
“If ev / ver two / were one / then sur / ely we”
Anne Bradstreet
“Make me/ O Lord / Thy spin / ning wheel / complete”
- Edward Taylor

15. Early American Literature
Poetic Rhyme Scheme:
Bradstreet’s “To My Dear . . .”
A-A-B-B-C-C (quench & recompense is a slant rhyme)
Taylor’s “Huswifery”
So, what is Taylor’s?

16. Early American Literature
Poetic Rhyme Scheme:
Bradstreet’s “To My Dear . . .”
A-A-B-B-C-C (quench & recompense is a slant rhyme)
Taylor’s “Huswifery”
So, what is Taylor’s?
A-B-A-B-C-C . . .