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Subtly opposing the Puritan lifestyle

“That laid my goods now in the dust:/Yea, so it was, and so ‘twas just” (Bradstreet 15-16).

God burned her house as she was not a good Puritan and not one of the elect

Refers to her wealth as “pelf”

This implies she got her wealth in a dishonest way

“My hope and treasure lies above” (Bradstreet 54).

Puritans did not believe in eternal life

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Bradstreet lost a lot, but she worships God and is an elect. God only gave her things she could handle.

“My home and treasure lies above.” (Bradstreet 54)

House and belongings are minimal things and her actual treasure lies with God. God gave her these tough challenges because she knew she could handle it and show other what a pure Puritan looks like.

“With glory richly furnished” (Bradstreet 45).

Shows god had given her many riches throughout her life, implying that she needs no more. She believes that God has given her plenty, and everything she needs is through God.

“Yet by His gift is made thine own;/There’s wealth enough, I need no more,” (Bradstreet 50-51)

Similar idea; she has lots of wealth from what God has given her. God has given her enough to survive on.

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Says god many times

Begs god to help when the house is on fire

God is above all

Finds reassurance in wealth

Materialistic things are temporary

Role of women in society

Not emotion or feeling shown

They could not talk back

Women did the housework

No other role besides mother and wife

Opposition

Penalised for following the rules

Goes against the doctrine

Shows imperfection

God controlled everything

God burned down her house

God shaped puriotain life

Tries to be a perfect puritan but her house was still burned down by god.

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

She reveals how faith and religion shape people’s lives by helping them accept loss and focus on God through her repetition of justifying God’s works.

“And when I could no longer look,/ I blest His name that gave and took,” (Bradstreet 13-14).

Feeling heartbroken watching her house burn, her religion teaches her to trust God’s control over both blessings and hardships.

“ Thou hast a house on high erect,/Framed by that mighty Architect,”(Bradstreet 43-44).

The description of heaven as a perfect, eternal home suggests that faith provides her with hope that she is among one of “the elect”.

How Has Faith and Religion Come to Shape American Literature?

“I blest His name that gave and took,” (Bradstreet 14).

Did the right things, but god still punished her.

“That fearful sound of “Fire!” and “Fire!”/ Let no man know is my desire” (Bradstreet 5-6).

Fears what the community will say. Different views spark big conflicts.

How can faith and religion blind people from the truth?

"I blest His name that gave and took" (Bradstreet 14)

Puritans believe that god does everything, and that belief caused her to put God at fault instead of someone for leaving a fire unattended.

How can faith and religion reveal truth to people?

"My hope and treasure lies above." (Bradstreet 54)

Although her house burned down, the Puritan belief in the afterlife reminds her to move forward because her trauser will remain with God.

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Discarding non-puritan writings

"Who thee abroad, exposed to public view,/ Made thee in rags, halting to th' press to trudge," (Bradstreet 4-5)

Her Brother-in-law published her works without her knowledge.

"I washed thy face, but more defects I saw,/ ANd rubbing off a spot still made a flaw." (Bradstreet 13-14)

Cleansing her works of non-puritan beliefs

"And for thy mother, she alas is poor,/ Which cauaed her thus to send thee out of door." (Bradstreet 23-24)

Discarding the works that don't support puritain views.

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The poem is about how the Puritan Society is taking Bradstreet’s work while it’s still incomplete and publishing it without her consent to push the narrative they created of her being the “ideal Puritan.”

“My rambling brat (in print) should mother call, / I cast thee by as one unfit for light,” (Bradstreet 8-9)

The poems she writes are viewed as children by her, however she still sees their flaws and would like to fix them

“Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true,” (Bradstreet 3)

The poems are being stolen from her and she has no say in the matter

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For Puritain

All gifts come from god

Submitting to gods will

Faith is constanly demanded by self-examination

Unable to express her own thoughts

Many flaws in her own writtings

Not perfect enough fro the public

Viewed as an elect

Forced to make poems supporting the puritain life style.

Opposition

Anne Bradstreet challenges the Puritan belief of Predestination through the mother who attempts to fix her childs flaws.

“I cast thee by as one unfit for the light,” (Bradstreet 9)

“I wash thy face, but more defects I saw, / And rubbing off a spot still made a flaw,” (Bradstreet 13-14).

“The Author to Her Book” has themes of human imperfections that are shown through Bradstreet’s use of an extended metaphor in the poem.

“Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain” (Bradstreet 1)“

I washed thy face, but more defects I saw/And rubbing off a spot still made a flaw” (Bradstreet 13-14)“

I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet/Yet still thou run’st more hobbling than is meet” (Bradstreet 15-16)

The metaphor between her work and human imperfections reflects and connects to the Puritan belief that humans were not perfect.

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

"Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain,/ Who after birth didst by my side remain," (Bradstreet 1-2)

She never wanted her works to be shown to the public.

"At thy return my blushing was not small,/ My rambling brat (in print) should mother call," (Bradstreet 7-8)

Embarrassed that her work was published

Avoids claiming pride in her work

Shaped how Bradstreet views her accomplishments.

How can faith and religion blind people from the truth?

“Till snatched from thence by friends less wise than true.” (Bradstreet 3)

Bradstreet's friends were blinded by showing that she is a good Puritan; they were blinded to the fact that she didn't want her works to be published.

“I washed thy face, but more defects I saw,/And rubbing off a spot still made a flaw.” (Bradstreet 13-14)

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

Puritans believe in predestination, and trying to make yourself or others look better won't change your outcome.

How does faith and religion come to shape American literature?

"Where errors were not lessened (all may judge)." (Bradstreet 6)

American writers criticize their work so much that when they publish it, they still think they will get publicly humiliated for how bad it is.

How can faith and religion reveal truth to people?

“I washed thy face, but more defects I saw,/And rubbing off a spot still made a flaw.” (Bradstreet 13-14).

Bradstreet wanted to be seen as a good Puritan, so she revised her works to make sure that they read this way.

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"My smarting wounds washt in his blood,/ And banisht thence my Doubts and fears." (Bradstreet 11-12)

Deep self-reflection grounds oneself

Reflects on god's grace

Reveals core Puritan belief in salvation through god's sacrifice.

Faith in god removes fear and doubt

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"My hungry Soul he fill'd with Good;/ He in his bottle put my tears," (Bradstreet 9-10)

personal relationship with god

Not engrossed in puritan society

"He bow'd his ear down from Above./ In vain I did not seek or cry." (Bradstreet 7-8)

God pays attention to her

Presentation is not followed

"He in his bottle put my tears,/ My smarting wounds washt in his blood,/ And banisht thence my Doubts and fears." (Bradstreet 10-12)

Unfavorable circumstances, and is still blessed

Goes against predestination

Bad circumstances can lead to salvation

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For Puritain

Carried faith everywhere

Faith and religion are a constant in peoples life

Seeks gods mercy - all humans are born sinful

"1I'll serve him here whilst I shall live/ And loue him to Eternity." (Bradstreet 15-16)

Expresses gratitude to god

Personal strugle to acknoledge and repay god

Opposing

"By night when others soundly slept/ And hath at once both ease and Rest,/ My waking eyes were open kept" (Bradstreet 1-3)

She had a spirtitual moment

Rest of puritain society is not pusuing god

Don't have the same level of devotion

"I'll serve him here whilst I shall live/ And loue him to Eternity." (Bradstreet 15-16)

Puritain devotion though servise to god

faith is lifelong and active

Obedience and devotion guide every aspect of life

Connects her personal promise of faith to the broader expectations of Puritan culture

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

"Who freely hath done this for me?/ I'll serve him here whilst I shall live/ And loue him to Eternity." (Bradstreet 14-16)

Valued her relationship with god

lifelong commitment to god

Convays Puritan belief that devotion to god is a lifelong duty.

Religion is more than beliefs

It is a guid for people to know what to do

"He in his bottle put my tears,/ My smarting wounds washt in his blood," (Bradstreet 10-11)

God comforts those who go through hard times

"And banisht thence my Doubts and fears." (Bradstreet 12)

God assures people who have doubts

"My hungry Soul he fill'd with Good;" (Bradstreet 9)

God brings satisfaction to the discontent.

How has faith and religion come to shape American Literature?

"He bow'd his ear down from Above." (Bradstreet 7)

Bradstreet wrote about her religious experience with God, and many American literary works are written about experiences people had with different things.

How can faith and religion blind people from the truth?

"My waking eyes were open kept/ And so to lie I found it best." (Bradstreet 3-4)

In her sleep-deprived state, Bradstreet's faith in god might have blinded her to the fact that her conversation with god was created in her mind.

How can faith and religion reveal truth to people?

"I'll serve him here whilst I shall live/ And loue him to Eternity." (Bradstreet 15-16)

This reveals that Puritans will do anything to please God.

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Purpose

Bradstreet loves God and is praying to him.

Signifies that god has responded to her prayer.

Analyze Diction

Earnestly

Shows the sincerity of the passage.

It helps the reader understand the simplicity of the text

Line-By-Line Analysis

Bradstreet is looking to pray to god

Supporting: Puritans liked relationships with god.

Bradstreet is praying to god sincerely and cries.

Opposing: Puritians don't like to show emotions.

God is listening to her prayer

Supporting: She is one of the elect, and god is helping her.

Bradstreet's prayer is answered

Supporting: God is helping her because she is one of the elect.

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How does faith and religion come to shape American Literature?

"Thou by old Adam wast begot,/ But my arise us from above,” (Bradstreet 45-47)

Faith and religion lead to biblical stories, names, or ideas appearing in literature to try to provge a point.

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

“Behold enough of precious store./Earth hast more silver, pearls, and gold/ Than eyes can see or hands can hold.” (Bradstreet 22-24)

“My garmnetnts are not silk nor gold,/ Nor such like trash whish earth doth hold,/But Royal Robes I shall have on,/ More glorious than the glist’ring Sun./ My Crown not Diamonds, Pearls, and gold,/ But such as Angels’ heads infold.” (Bradstreet 80-85)

Faith and religion affect how people act and view life. Some religions require people to be kind to everyone, and some religions make people wear certain clothes.

How can faith and religion blind people from the truth?

“... what liv’st thou on/ Nothing but Mediation?” (Bradstreet 9-10) “Can Speculation satisfy/ Notation without Reality?” (Bradstreet 13-14)

Although you can get a lot in heaven, you shouldn't waste your life planning to get special treatment in heaven because there is a chance you may not get there.

How can faith and religion reveal truth to people?

“My garmnetnts are not silk nor gold,/ Nor such like trash whish earth doth hold,/But Royal Robes I shall have on,/ More glorious than the glist’ring Sun./ My Crown not Diamonds, Pearls, and gold,/ But such as Angels’ heads infold.” (Bradstreet 80-85)

Bradstreet is revealing that although people's clothes may not be the best quality, in heaven all clothes are better than the best materials on earth.