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1. Material objects are temporary and God's grace is sufficient

2. Turns to God for comfort

1. (Bradstreet 16-18)

2. Shouldn't complain because it was God's will

3. She is one of the elect

1. (Bradstreet 53-54)

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1. Anne is justifying the fire as God's grace

2. Denouncing materialistic wants

1. (Bradstreet 35-36)

3. God owns and controls everything

1. (Bradstreet 16-18)

2. (Bradstreet 53-54)

4. There's a reason for everything

1. (Bradstreet 14-19)

5. Having faith in their religion leads to peace of mind

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1. Doesn't want people to know her house is burning and that this may be a punishment

1. (Bradstreet 5-6)

2. Shows love and attachment to possessions

1. (Bradstreet 27-28)

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1. How has faith and religion come to shape American literature?

1. The beliefs of a greater being has been reflected in literature, and especially this poem and Bradstreet's belief that God will deliver her from her predicament

2. This way of thinking transfers into the text which then someone takes in that information, shaping the way they think

3. In the case of this poem, making them more hopeful

2. What role does faith and religion play in the lives of people in general?

1. In people's lives, faith and religion are things they turn to for comfort in harsh situations as well as make them less focused on the materialistic part of the world.

2. (Bradstreet 13)

3. (Bradstreet 43-44)

3. How can faith and religion blind people from the truth?

1. Makes people complacent and illogical. "Excessive attachment" to God instead of looking for solutions to her predicament.

2. (Bradstreet 43-46)

4. How can faith and religion reveal truth to people?

1. Bradstreet's use of religious beliefs and hopes is reflected in this poem

2. Strong theme that everything happens for a reason, showing the readers that no matter what they're going through that everything will be alright, using religion to give them hope.

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1. How has faith and religion come to shape American literature?

1. A lot of classic literature was written as a way to express beliefs or praise God, especially during the time of the Puritans.

2. Anne Bradstreet wrote a lot about religion because of the expectations of the Puritans

2. What role does faith and religion play in the lives of people in general?

1. Religion plays a controlling role in the lives of people making people scared of doing something wrong

2. Improper appearances are God's damnation

3. (Bradstreet 9-10)

4. Harsh judgement in Puritan society because of the people's religious beliefs

3. How can faith and religion blind people from the truth?

1. Looks through a critical lens of religion when looking at literature

2. Everything must have a connection to religion and if not it is then worthy of judgement

4. How can faith and religion reveal truth to people?

1. Faith and religion can expose the judgmental acts of groups by showing how they use religion as a way to justify their judgement and slander other people or works

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1. How has faith and religion come to shape American literature?

1. Religion helps tell a story of moral changes in humans. As is an example in this poem, it tells a story of a change of heart. That's often a common theme in literature, and it stems from the religious beliefs of Jesus changing the hearts of those who believe in him

2. What role does faith and religion play in the lives of people in general?

1. Role of guidance

2. (Bradstreet 9-10)

3. Prayer provides connection to God so he can give guidance

3. How can faith and religion blind people from the truth?

1. Not knowing different kinds of affection with people

2. Must have a love for God only but Bradstreet loves her husband greatly

4. How can faith and religion reveal truth to people?

1. Bradstreet was confused and despaired with her life. But when she called on God, everything made sense and the truth was revealed to her.

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1. How has faith and religion come to shape American literature?

1. Literature has been made to be more God and spiritually centered

2. Puritans valued nature and spiritual experiences over worldly goods

2. What role does faith and religion play in the lives of people in general?

1. Faith and religion affect the desires and internal conflict in people. Since the Puritan religion warns against earthly goods, Puritans try to avoid treasures like gold and refuse to lust for material goods.

3. How can faith and religion blind people from the truth

1. People are too focused on heaven and spiritual treasures not seen to recognize the beauty of treasures on earth

2. They despise material goods and refuse to take part in earthly pleasures.

4. How can faith and religion reveal truth to people?

1. Faith and religion highlight how material goods are of no importance

2. There's more to life than riches

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1. Extended metaphor - book to a child

1. Deeply loved it but was still embarrassed

2. (Bradstreet 1)

2. Doesn't boast personal work

1. (Bradstreet 9-10)

3. Wants to improve her writing but more problems arise the more she fixes them

1. (Bradstreet 14)

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1. Humility and modesty is important in Puritan society

2. Puritan belief of Societal Perfection

1. (Bradstreet 5-6)

2. Thinks she will be judged because Puritans want her to be perfect

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1. Bradstreet is one of the elect

2. You can open up to God through prayer

3. Bible is the ultimate authority

4. Predestination (conversion narrative)

1. (Bradstreet 1-3)

5. People can't choose who to be with in heaven

6. In heaven everyone shares the same experiences with God

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1. Connection with God and turning to God for help

1. (Bradstreet 11-12)

2. Supports ideal Puritan beliefs

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1. Is searching for her husband over God

1. (Bradstreet 7)

2. Husband will provide everything for her including comfort, food, and housing

1. (Bradstreet 9-11)

3. Wants to be with her husband in the afterlife

1. (Bradstreet 14-16)

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a. The purpose of this stanza is to show connection to God and how he's not just there to judge but to comfort. "My smarting wounds washt in his blood, / And banisht thence my Doubts and fears" (Bradstreet 11-12). God was there to comfort her and fulfill her spirit.

b. It shows what the effects of being one of the elect are and how if you have been chosen by God you also have a deep connection and relationship with God. "And banisht thence my Doubts and fears" (Bradstreet 12). Her connection with God is a result of him banishing her fears.

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1. In line 12, she uses the word "banisht" to express what happened to her fears.

1. It has a much stronger connotation than words such as "got rid of" or "calmed" which adds to the understanding of how calm she now is.

2. The use of the phrase "My hungry soul" in line 9 gives the reader a sense of what she was lacking in life. This makes her conversion narrative all the more powerful seeing how badly she needed the Lord.

2. Diction adds layers to the poem and deeper meaning to each line. It makes the readers feel emotions that the words cause.

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Line 9: Bradstreet was starving for the Lord and her soul was empty. But when she called out to the Lord, he fulfilled her. This supports the ideal Puritan because they believe that true fulfillment can only be found in God. Her soul was filled with his goodness and only then did she finally feel full.

Line 10: Bradstreet's cries were heard by the Lord and he basically wiped her tears away. This opposes Puritan beliefs as Puritans don't exactly believe in intimate comforting relationships with God. They mainly believe in seeing him, not going to him about their personal problems.

Line 11: This line relates directly to the Bible because imagery is often used that Jesus washed our sins away using blood. This supports the ideal Puritan because she uses descriptions directly from the Bible.

Line 12: Here the Lord's presence calmed Bradstreet and allowed her to not have any fear. This supports ideal Puritan because God should be who they go to when they're afraid.

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“Made thee in rags, halting to th’press to trudge, / Where errors were not lessened (all may judge)” (Bradstreet 5-6).

She shouldn’t fear judgement from people and should worry more about what God has to say

“I cast thee by as one unfit for light, / The visage was so irksome in my sight” (Bradstreet 9-10).

Should be proud of her work as God has blessed her but she refuses to accept that

“Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true, / who thee abroad, exposed to the public view” (Bradstreet 3-4).

Bradstreet was afraid of her poems being published because she knows the Puritans are traditional and would be critical of her poems

Exposes the harsh truth of the traditional ways