Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
A. William Bradford
Of Plymouth Plantation
http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/Departments/English/coke/bradford.htm
Thesis Statement
Through out William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation the escaping Puritans conquer hardship, such as seasickness, starvation and Indians, through their faith in God.
Passage
Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element.
Reflection
http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/Departments/English/coke/bradford.htm
Thesis Statement
Through out William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation the escaping Puritans conquer hardship, such as seasickness, starvation and Indians, through their faith in God.
Passage
Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element.
Reflection
This passage shows the closeness between the Puritans and God because they don't thank the sailors for their safe passage they thanked God. They saw God's providence in protecting them from the treacherous ocean. They were brought to their rightful place by God's guidance.
Political Cartoon
This political cartoon of current day immigration relates to the immigration the Puritans into the New World through the similar hardships faced and reasons for immigrating. The political cartoon depicts a man and his wife crossing a river and heading towards a fence. This relates to the puritans because they both have to over come hardships on their journey, whether it be crossing a river or crossing an ocean. Also shown in the political cartoon is the wife saying "Pick vegetables. Work minimum wage-they'll love you. Anything higher-trouble". This shows that the reasons for immigration haven't changed because the immigrants of the past and present didn't have much to look forward too they believed that the new land can't be worse than where they were. These two comparisons show that even after five hundred years immigration has not changed.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
B. Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672)
Reflection
The poem that impressed me the most is "Upon the Burning of Our House" because I think it is the poem that reflects Bradstreet's inner thoughts most accurately. It steps away from her usual poems and revels the conflict between her spirituality and her attachment to the secular world.
All of her poery has conflict, but I think it's because of the attachment Anne feels to the house and her poessesions that the conflict is at it peak.
Political Cartoon
Just as Anne Bradstreet had to forge her own way as a poet, the woman at the bottom of the ladder must find a different way to climb than the man. The political cartoon depicts a woman climbing a ladder but is impeded by the man above her removing the rungs as he goes. The women must find an alternative route up the ladder not only because the man is taking the rungs (his path) as he goes, but because her experience and point of view will give her different insights about how to reach success. While poets of Anne Bradstreet’s time focused on religion, she expressed her feelings about family, home and even her brief crises of faith through poetry. Being the first published woman poet in America, Anne brought a previously unexplored perspective to poetry that often strayed from typical Puritan doctrine. Both Anne Bradstreet and the woman at the bottom of the ladder in the cartoon will bring a unique, female perspective to a previously male dominated field, whether it be poetry or climbing the ladder of success.
The poem that impressed me the most is "Upon the Burning of Our House" because I think it is the poem that reflects Bradstreet's inner thoughts most accurately. It steps away from her usual poems and revels the conflict between her spirituality and her attachment to the secular world.
All of her poery has conflict, but I think it's because of the attachment Anne feels to the house and her poessesions that the conflict is at it peak.
Political Cartoon
Just as Anne Bradstreet had to forge her own way as a poet, the woman at the bottom of the ladder must find a different way to climb than the man. The political cartoon depicts a woman climbing a ladder but is impeded by the man above her removing the rungs as he goes. The women must find an alternative route up the ladder not only because the man is taking the rungs (his path) as he goes, but because her experience and point of view will give her different insights about how to reach success. While poets of Anne Bradstreet’s time focused on religion, she expressed her feelings about family, home and even her brief crises of faith through poetry. Being the first published woman poet in America, Anne brought a previously unexplored perspective to poetry that often strayed from typical Puritan doctrine. Both Anne Bradstreet and the woman at the bottom of the ladder in the cartoon will bring a unique, female perspective to a previously male dominated field, whether it be poetry or climbing the ladder of success.
Friday, September 18, 2009
C: Edward Taylor (1645-1729)
Huswifery
http://www.puritansermons.com/poetry/taylor14.htm
Thesis Statement
In the Edwards Taylor's poem "Huswifery", he uses literary conceit, imagery and rhyme to compare to the process of making a preacher clothes to the process of cleansing his soul in order to gain God's grace.
Reflection
The use of deep literary conceit through out the poem impressed me because it shows the strong sense of spirituality and Puritanism that is ingrained in Edward Taylor. He uses the metaphor unwavering throughout the poem and uses descriptive imagery that allows the reader to envision the physical and spiritual process taking place. Also he uses an uncommon and original metaphor to spin a pragmatic message about gaining God's grace.
http://www.puritansermons.com/poetry/taylor14.htm
Thesis Statement
In the Edwards Taylor's poem "Huswifery", he uses literary conceit, imagery and rhyme to compare to the process of making a preacher clothes to the process of cleansing his soul in order to gain God's grace.
Reflection
The use of deep literary conceit through out the poem impressed me because it shows the strong sense of spirituality and Puritanism that is ingrained in Edward Taylor. He uses the metaphor unwavering throughout the poem and uses descriptive imagery that allows the reader to envision the physical and spiritual process taking place. Also he uses an uncommon and original metaphor to spin a pragmatic message about gaining God's grace.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
D: Jonathan Edwards
Sinners in the hands of an Angry God!
Passage:
"If God should only withdraw his hand from the flood-gate. it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yea, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in hell, it would be nothing to withstand or endure it.
Reflection
This passage uses both imagery of fire and water to create a strong, vivid message to compare the feebleness of humans to the infinite strength of God. Johnathan Edwards goal for his sermon is to expose human weakness and show humans the power of the wrath of God is something to be feared. By conveying this message he hopes that people will turn to God to escape his wrath. This passage impressed me because of the intense image it creates in the reader's mind of the wrath of God being contained like a floodgate, that when released no one, not even the strongest devil can escape. It shows that Johnathan Edwards believed in the old testament God that would strike down, not only the evil, but also the non-believers. This passage would make any fear the wrath of God and turn to him to escape his wrath.
Passage:
"If God should only withdraw his hand from the flood-gate. it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yea, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in hell, it would be nothing to withstand or endure it.
Reflection
This passage uses both imagery of fire and water to create a strong, vivid message to compare the feebleness of humans to the infinite strength of God. Johnathan Edwards goal for his sermon is to expose human weakness and show humans the power of the wrath of God is something to be feared. By conveying this message he hopes that people will turn to God to escape his wrath. This passage impressed me because of the intense image it creates in the reader's mind of the wrath of God being contained like a floodgate, that when released no one, not even the strongest devil can escape. It shows that Johnathan Edwards believed in the old testament God that would strike down, not only the evil, but also the non-believers. This passage would make any fear the wrath of God and turn to him to escape his wrath.
Collage
ReflectionIn his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God!", Jonathan Edward uses three main images: fire, water and bugs to convey his message that everyone should repent and turn to God. My collage depicts three images that represent Edward's most powerful uses of imagery. The first picture is of a hell hound, with flames pouring out of his mouth, devouring a body. This represents the gaping and all consuming void that leads into the depths of hell which Edward forewarns the people of in his sermon. The image works to create a very vivid picture in the readers mind and I think it is the most powerful image in the collage. Another image is a tidal wave about to consume a city. Edward uses the image of God releasing a flood gate, but I think the image I used is more relevant today because the thought of a tidal wave consuming a city is more possible than a flood gate being released. The final image is a tree covered in spider webs which relates to Edward's analogy that unless you change your ways, God's hand cannot keep you from falling into hell no more than a spider's web can stop a falling rock. All these images are being consumed by the flames of hell, symbolizing Jonathan Edward's idea that everything will descend into hell unless people turn to God.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
E. The Slave Narrative
Essential Question:
What drives people to seek the American dream?
In this case the American dream was not being sought, but forced upon a people with the justification that we are helping the "dumb savages". This slave narrative, "The Life of Gustavus Vassa" was written by Olidah Equiano, and tells of the gruesome horrors that he went through on a daily basis while and after traveling the middle passage. In his narrative Equiano, named Gustavus Vassa while a slave in America, explains how he was a slave in Africa that was taken from his home and put on a slave ship. He also describes the daily, brutal beatings he and others painfully endured while be delivered like cargo to America, through the middle passage. This shows that the American dream was not a dream for all, but for some a nightmare forced upon them by a misguided and oppressive society. Olidah Equiano was taken from his country, stripped of his name and pride, and forced to work in unknown country. This is not a hopeful dream that he was driven to seek but it is indeed a fearsome nightmare that no person should have to endure.
What drives people to seek the American dream?
In this case the American dream was not being sought, but forced upon a people with the justification that we are helping the "dumb savages". This slave narrative, "The Life of Gustavus Vassa" was written by Olidah Equiano, and tells of the gruesome horrors that he went through on a daily basis while and after traveling the middle passage. In his narrative Equiano, named Gustavus Vassa while a slave in America, explains how he was a slave in Africa that was taken from his home and put on a slave ship. He also describes the daily, brutal beatings he and others painfully endured while be delivered like cargo to America, through the middle passage. This shows that the American dream was not a dream for all, but for some a nightmare forced upon them by a misguided and oppressive society. Olidah Equiano was taken from his country, stripped of his name and pride, and forced to work in unknown country. This is not a hopeful dream that he was driven to seek but it is indeed a fearsome nightmare that no person should have to endure.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)