Comparing Bradstreet's Sinners In To My Dear And Loving Husband

“It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God one moment; but you must suffer it to all eternity,“ declares Jonathan Edwards (128), referring to being trapped in Hell, in his 1741 sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. Edwards is known for his powerful persuasion techniques, and his long sermons. He portrays God as loathing and vengeful towards anyone who is unconverted, playing on their fear. As a Puritan, he was affected by the religion that influenced many other authors of the era. Another puritan writer was a woman named Anne Bradstreet, famous for being the first notable American poet. Unlike Edwards, Bradstreet is more gentle in her writing, and enjoyed writing about her

Pastors have used the “fire and brimstone” method for centuries, scaring congregations into obedience with the threat of being sent to an indescribably painful realm after death, usually referred to as “hell”. Pastor John Edwards took this method to a new extreme; he terrified some people so much that they went as far as to commit suicide during his sermons. One particular sermon combines some of the principles of Puritan faith, as well as his personal opinions, with what is commonly considered the most vivid description of hell ever written. His sermon represents the Puritan belief system in some respects, but not all, which can be seen by identifying and comparing the main points of the sermon and other similarities in his sermon to known Puritan values. John Edwards actually gives hope to his congregation with his views, while Puritanical views are even harsher.

He depicts God as frightening, and authoritative over human fate. Furthermore, Edwards believes this so strongly he wants sinners to change their horrible ways. Although Edwards acknowledges God is in control of fate, humans can stop themselves from going to hell through one way. If humans stop sinning God, will be less likely to have further reasons to want to send them to hell. Sinners at the Hands of an Angry God creates this view through several elements in the recorded sermon. Firstly, the text is interactive for both the readers and audience. Edwards’s persistent use of the word you especially make the text personal. Secondly, several literary devices in Edward’s text create a well-written and frightening warning to sinners. As well, it emphasizes and reminds the readers or audience that God is in charge of eternal fate. Overall, Edwards’s beliefs on providence and afterlife stay with the readers due this. The sermon provides vivid clear images for its

The poem “To my Dear and Loving Husband” by Anne Bradstreet, is not just an exceedingly felt expression of a wife’s marital love and commitment to her husband, as it is about a puritan women who is supposed to be reserved but she makes it her obligation to enlighten her husband of her devotion. A thorough analysis of the poem’s paradox, hyperbole, imagery and repetition reveals how she conveys her message.

Anne Bradstreet is much lighter with her writing, like in “Upon the Burning of Our House”, and “To My Dear and Loving Husband”. In the latter writing, she writes “My love is such that rivers cannot quench” (Bradstreet 116). She uses the word love which usually has lighter, jubilant, connotations. She wants the audience to know her affection for her husband, and she doesn’t use any words that may have negative connotations. The other story, does, however, starts off with more depressing details of a house fire, but, just like the love poem, it gets much more cheerful, and praiseful. “There’s wealth enough, I need no more” (Bradstreet 119). She gives praise to her God, and she accepts what has happened. Her belief is that God will not do harm upon her, and she worships him in this piece. Conversely, Jonathan Edwards does the exact opposite of Bradstreet in his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. He purposely makes strident, and much more somber, word choices for his famous oration. He consistently uses words such as anger, wrath, and torment(s), to scare the listeners in his parish. The details he uses to illustrate his God’s anger, wrath, etc. are also used to instill fear in the churchgoers. He says phrases like “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider...abhors you...he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else” (Edwards 127). He attempts to intimidate his auditors by going into detail about how their God judges them. He doesn’t try to be inspirational and kind, he tries to be grim and portray his God as vengeful and unforgiving. These authors’ tone is reflected by what they write, and how they write, which usually are complete opposites of each

She humbly asks him to commemorate her virtues and to forget her faults once her time has come. In this section, Bradstreet is aware that the odds are not in her favor, and that she might not survive this natural but daring event. She knows that when she dies, memories will be all that will endure, and therefore asks that her virtues “live freshly in thy memory”(Line 18). This specifically shows the author´s passion and care for her husband, because she directly asks him to remember her. She wants him to look up to her and think about all the good things that made him fall for her. For that reason, this part of the poem makes me believe that the author felt true love for her husband, despite the fact that her religious doctrine did not encourage such love for the significant other. Her ultimate goal is to maintain this love beyond the inevitable death, indirectly asking him to return this affection by remembering her in a dear

Anne Bradstreet wrote poems that refers and symbolizes god in her life. In her poem “Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House,” Bradstreet writes a poem about the devastation of the burning of her house. She reflects upon how everything is destroyed and how sad it is that all of her possessions are gone and that she lost everything completely. Later in the poem, Bradstreet rationalizes the destruction by saying, “Thou hast an house on high erect, framed by that mighty Architect, with glory richly furnished, stands permanent through this be fled.” Bradstreet is referring to the fact that she will eventually have a place in heaven, which means it won’t matter that she has lost everything now. This goes to show the extent in which the emphasis on faith and god is at the time. It also shows the humbleness and selflessness that people of the time had when they had strong faith. Bradstreet writes, “There’s wealth enough, I need n more, farewell, pelf, farewell my store” which shows that people like Bradstreet didn’t need a lot

Jonathan Edwards, a Congregationalist minister in western Massachusetts, who was shocked at the dissipating religious spirit, believing that people were giving up to sinful pleasures. He worked against the secularization of the Enlightenment and focus on pushing the emotional side of religion by expressing the wonderful nature of Heaven and the horror of Hell, helping to renew intensity behind religion. This idea of Heaven and Hell was stated in his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, intended to scare people into looking for salvation, with descriptions of people being held over a fire in Hell. This is expressive of the change of social norms in Puritan New England, where going to the Minister’s house as opposed to the Tavern was acceptable. This also shows the more individualized ideals people had, for they were presented with the option of achieving their own salvation and take responsibility for their lives, having the option of maintaining a personal connection with God. (ch 3 txtbk)

Edward’s sermons would have been seen by many people as more vivid when he talks about god and his religious beliefs and views. For example “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked” (126) this depiction that Jonathan gives to the audience may seem very frightening. Compared to the somewhat more loving depiction that Anne Bradstreet gives “And to God my heart did cry To strengthen me in my distress” (line 8-9) Anne tells the audience that God strengthens her in her distress which is a very different depiction from Jonathan’s sermon. One of the few similarities about their religious would be near the ending of Jonathan’s sermon it states “And now an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners” (129)this context differs from the beginning of Jonathan’s sermon and can be compared to the tone of some of Bradstreet’s writing. For example a piece of Anne’s writing “That when we live no more, we may live ever.” (12) this piece of context tells that she if she loves her husband and he loves her than then they shall live in heaven when they die. Both of these examples tell

Edwards’ had a completely opposite way of conveying his message. His use of imagery, restatement, repetition, and biblical allusions helped him explain to his readers why they needed to be saved. His tone during his sermon was monotone and calm even though he was describing hell. Many people were terrified of his vivid descriptions of hell. In paragraph one, Edwards’ describes hell as “that lake of burning brimstone.” This is just one of his many descriptions of hell.

In the Bible, throughout the book, minus the few mass extinctions that God causes, God is portrayed as a merciful being. Most people, therefore, perceive him to be that way as a result. However, there are some people that perceive him as a fuming, angry God, ready to cast sinners into eternal damnation in the pits of hell. One such person is Jonathan Edwards, who wrote and recited the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” to a mass of people. One person on the opposite end of this spectrum of feelings about the Catholic’s divine being is Anne Bradstreet, author of the poem “Here follow some verses upon the burning of our house, July 10, 1666.” She believes that God is a forgiving, all knowing, generous deity who is wise in his ways.

Anne Bradstreet's poem, To My Dear and Loving Husband, shows her profound love and undying affection for her husband. For a Puritan woman who is supposed to be reserved, Bradstreet makes it her obligation to enlighten her husband of her devotion. She conveys this message through her figurative language and declarative tone by using imagery, repetition, and paradoxes.

“His listeners are said to have groaned and screamed in terror and Edwards stopped several times to ask for silence.” Jonathan Edwards wrote “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” as a way to express how Puritans were not living the way God wanted them to. They were not going to church daily and those who were, thought that, that was all they had to do to get into Heaven. Edwards gave very detailed views on how easy it would be to be cast down into a pit of eternal damnation as well as how you should pray for God’s mercy so you can have a glorious salvation. Edward’s ferocious use of extended metaphor and pathos swayed his audience into fearing what the afterlife held for them if they were to not repent their sins.

When Anne house was burned and there was nothing left. She was thinking of God and said, “ It was his own, it was not mine/ Far be it that I should repine”(18). Anne thinks it is fair that God taken her house and she shouldn’t regret about it. She believes that now she has house on heaven. Anne is being good Puritan and praising God. In sermon Edward is talking about how God is only thing that keeping people out of hell and says, “ Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downward with great weight and pressure toward hell and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf”(80). Edward is saying that people are wicked and it makes them already bad person. If God decide to let go people will immediately fall in a second. If people continue to do evil works it will make God more angry and he will make them go to hell. Edward and Bradstreet trying to teach being good Puritan and try to do things that will make them go in

In Bradstreet’s poem Upon the Burning of Our House she says, “Yet by His gift is made thine own; There’s wealth enough, I need no more.” (119-50) Her way of writing is gentle and her deep appreciation of God is made known, without having to be threatening in her poems. Even when all her possessions are gone, the grace of God is enough wealth for her. Unlike Bradstreet, Edward’s make it a point to embed fear with his sermons, and he uses it as leverage in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God he says, “You are ten thousand times more abominable in his eye, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.” (127) This give a clear indication that his way of delivering the message is aggressive and intense. A completely different way then how Bradstreet wrote in her poems, Edward strike at the fearful heart of the people and makes his point well known from the start.