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.
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 the Puritans—how so? Rewrite the treaty to be equally favorable to the Native Americans.
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. Olaudah Equiano 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. Olaudah Equiano The Middle Passage
Two month voyage from African West Coast to North America
Overcrowding
Lack of food
Harsh treatment
Disease
Despair

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
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 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
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?