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Anne Bradstreet's The Flesh And The Spirit

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In The poem “The Flesh and The Spirit” author Anne Bradstreet uses: human values, personification, desires and pleasures, as key elements to portray to the reader the internal battle of man; his desires for physical satisfaction and holy redemption. I think this is significant because, it is through this specific literary work Bradstreet addresses the major issues, of mans conflict within. It is through this text I also believe that Bradstreet had not only unintentionally addressed issues important during her lifetime, but which can also be applied to the generations that will come after her passing. She in her own way broke down, what this supernatural crusade translates to in the real world. Through the next few paragraphs this paper will explain the significance of this poem’s theme “ the internal human conflict of gaining materialist pleasures versus obtaining holy deliverance”. …show more content…

The poem states what I think to be human values: money, vanity, salvation, and eternal life after death. Which can conflict with what god wants for us, and what we as descendants of Adam want for ourselves. It is though this text, Bradstreet uses personification; to give spirit and flesh a more human like form making them twin sisters with different fathers. Which derives my final point; that because these twins have separate fathers, that is a major influence on why each sister has the desires and pleasure that she wishes to obtain. Which is why I believe that this particular poem is the gateway to understanding mans internal battle within, wanting for material pleasures versus his quest for holy

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