Anne Bradstreet And Edwards Compare And Contrast Essay

Much like America’s history, its literature has had an equally complex, dynamic, and developing trajectory. However, unlike how history is typically divided into centuries, literature finds itself separated into periods of genres. For example, there was the epoch of Native American tales, the Realism eon, and the span of the Harlem Renaissance. Furthermore, the borders between these periods are not always definite. The stylistic characteristics and themes from one, often may bleed into another. This is particularly visible between the Colonial Period, specifically Puritan literature, and the Romantic and Transcendental time. Specifically, the overlap of the Puritan and Transcendental styles is evident in the poem “Contemplations” by Anne Bradstreet. In order to fully understand how Bradstreet foreshadowed later themes in “Contemplations”, the context of the Colonial time must be examined, along with famed works from the Transcendental period.

Furthermore, his sermon Edwards provides several similes to scare the audience. He states, "Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell;" this comparison shows that our sins are plenty enough to punish us. Furthermore, people are ignorant and don't realize that with all these wicked actions they are directing their future into hell. This is not the only simile, he includes "The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire". This comparison shows that God is saving us from an eternity of fear and despair. Edwards' statement does not mean God does not love his followers, however sins are weighing down on his decision that can end with a terrible end.

Edwards describes hell as being the most horrific place and how no one is immune from

Perhaps Jonathan Edwards’ obvious abhorrence of sin had a connection to a reason beyond the apparent; the words of his sermon being directed much more to himself than to his audience. The wrath presented within Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God was due to Edwards’ fear of his own damnation- he feared having been too late reborn, but more so he feared sin and its masked hold upon him; an overall inability to conquer the beast of his own humanity. Jonathan Edwards was a man plagued by dread, and in this agony of fear, he thus inflicted a terror on others for their own salvation; trepidation being communicated through the words of a

To begin with, Bradstreet and Edwards religious views on God and what life should be like have some similarities. Bradstreet says, “The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray,”(line 10). This is showing that she believes rewards will come to those who

The writings of Colonial American authors such as Anne Bradstreet, John Woodbridge, and William Bradford, portray their views of the roles of women in the 17th century. Anne Bradstreet uses her poems to convey her feelings on her life and experiences as a Puritan mother. John Woodbridge utilizes his preface to Anne Bradstreet’s poems to express his thoughts and views on the capabilities of women. William Bradford offers in his journal Of Plymouth Plantation a converse perspective to Bradstreet’s and Woodbridge’s favorable view of women and their abilities. These authors, Bradstreet, Woodbridge, and Bradford, show in their works the recognition of the common belief of the inferiority of women in the eyes of men, and through their writings each

For Anne Bradstreet, the closeness of God to the soul is essential to not only understanding life, but coming to terms with devastation and loss. Bradstreet’s journey to God is best explained by Job 1:21 which says “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Her belief is exemplified through her poem “Versus upon the Burning of Our House.” One of her first reactions while she is watching her home burn to the ground is look up to the sky and say “strengthen me in my distress and not leave me succorless.” Throughout the entire poem, Bradstreet constantly references how God will help her rebuild her life and strengthen her soul. During the middle of the poem, she talks about all of her lost material things like

Edwards` sermon is the Judgment Day message. This is the day that every man who is not serving a righteous life will be cast down to hell. The person who decides whether you go to heaven or hell is god, who plays the role of the judge. Edward uses this sermon to get his following to change their lifestyles and convert to Christianity. This was a great approach by Edward. He put fear into the congregation, causing them to lean more towards the Christian faith and way of living. He used the right scriptures to express how god felt about sinners and how they will be dealt with on Judgment Day. “Isaiah 6:33, which are the words of our great god, I will tread them in my anger, and will trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled

Anne Bradstreet is a poet of the seventeenth century who has an extremely solid Puritan voice. The Puritans were an assembly of English Protestants that formed in the sixteenth century. The Puritans wanted to purify the church by following powerful, strict religious philosophies which later on earned them the name Puritans. They assumed that they were God’s chosen people and that they are an admirable example for the rest of the world, attempting to create a model for America. Bradstreet is one of the first noteworthy poets to write English poetry in the American colonies. According to many authors that have studied and written about Bradstreet, her work represents both her Puritan and also feminine principles to a widespread audience of readers. Unlike several women of her time, Bradstreet was very well educated and she knew what she was talking about. Having her background of education, it gave her an advantage and allowed her to write about more advanced topics, however still keeping inside the guidelines of the Bible. Anne Bradstreet’s writing is that of her personal and Puritan life, when reading you are able to easily distinguish the two.

Jonathan Edwards was born on 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut to a middle class protestant family. Edwards went to school for ministry after graduating from Yale, and unlike Benjamin Franklin, he did live up to his families expectancies and became a well-known preacher at the age of 26. In his Personal Narrative, Edwards speaks on the inner sins that haunt him, and his newfound happiness in God’s grace. He also discusses his progress and devotion to God. At a younger age, Edwards questioned Gods Sovereignty and his nonbelief in predestination led him to further ask how could one man decide another mans faith? “my mind had been wont to be full of objects against the doctrine of God’s sovereignty, in choosing whom He would to eternal life and rejecting whom he pleased; leaving them eternally to perish, and be everlasting tormented in hell” (180). Edwards and Anne Bradstreet both share these puritan conflicts

Anne Bradstreet struggled entering Puritan society and submitting to the demands of the new society. When arriving in Massachusetts, Bradstreet ‘found a new world and new manners’ which she did not understand and found difficulty adjusting to. The conflict between Bradstreet’s desire to rebel and the Puritan belief is seen throughout her poetry. Focusing on two of her poems, In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet, Who Deceased August, 1665, Being a Year and a Half Old and Here Follows Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House, July 10th 1666 the struggle Bradstreet experiences between her emotions and her desire to have faith in her religion is evident in the transition of thought throughout her poetry. The conflict between her religion and her desire for emotional freedom is a common theme in her poetry. Religion permeated every aspect of Bradstreet’s life including her relationships; especially her marriage. To My Dear and Loving Husband Bradstreet’s dedication to being the perfect Puritan wife is seen is evident.

The author’s compassion towards his congregation is truly remarkable. Edwards states that he would show sympathy toward sinners rather than banish them. Many would say that Edwards is expressing hatred towards the wrongdoers, but he is rather worried for the outsiders because they’ve chosen the wrong path. The priest is warning the congregation that committing a sin will lead them to an eternity in Hell.

The main similarity of these two pieces is they are both written by puritans. Another sentence. Anne Bradstreet wrote in her poem that if people let go of worldly things and are not focused on them, they are able to be saved. In Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, he preaches that those listening, as well as everyone who has not yet repented

     Edwards also fails to emphasize a major thematic concept of the Bible-- love. The word love is used in 539 verses of the Bible. In this sermon it is used only four times. Only two of those times directly refer to Christ’s love for us. Edwards seems to have shaded this crucial aspect of salvation.

Edwards's sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is about how the sinners will go to hell if they do not change there ways. In the beginning of Edwards sermon he talks about a verse in the Bible. This verse was Deuteronomy 32:35. It talked about how the Israelite's were wicked people and they were called the "unbelieving Israelite's". The verse says that God will have vengeance on the Israelite's. They will soon be punished because of their wickedness. The Israelites's were sinners.