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Figurative Meaning: Opposing Puritan Beliefs

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Figurative Meaning: Opposing Puritan Beliefs

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Bradstreet writes, “That fearful sound of 'Fire!” and 'Fire!”/ Let no man know is my desire” (Bradstreet 5-6). Bradstreet could be speaking about hiding the fact that her house burned down when she writes, “let no man know”. She’s trying to cover up the fact that she possibly sinned and is being punished by God.

Bradstreet states, “My pleasant things in ashes lie/ And then behold no more shall I” (Bradstreet 27-28). Bradstreet shows the love and attachment to the items and parts of her house that she shares nostalgic memories with, as she mentions  "pleasant things.” She is going against the Puritans' beliefs, as God should be the only bond she should share with, and physical objects shouldn’t be valued more than God.

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Figurative Meaning: Opposing Puritan Beliefs

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Figurative Meaning: Opposing Puritan Beliefs

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She is 'awake' and aware and other people are inattentive (1-4)

She will search him with every ounce of her being to being able to find the one she loves (5)

Her husband would provide her with whatever she needs from needing good in her life, letting her cry, her mental wounds and her doubt her fears. And in turn making them go away (9-11)

She wants to help her husband and in return she will love her husband for eternity.

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Figurative Meaning: Opposing Puritan Beliefs

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Figurative Meaning: Opposing Puritan Beliefs

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By giving Flesh a voice and showing her as a relatable, almost sympathetic character, Bradstreet acknowledges that human desire for wealth, beauty, and comfort is natural:

“What can my Flesh to mine own Spirit yield, / But sighs and tears for pleasures unpossess’d?”

Instead of fully condemning Flesh, Bradstreet lets her express frustration and longing, suggesting that strict Puritan rejection of earthly pleasure may be too rigid or unrealistic.

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Figurative Meaning: Opposing Puritan Beliefs

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Figurative Meaning: Opposing Puritan Beliefs

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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

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Figurative Meaning: Supporting Puritan Beliefs

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Figurative Meaning: Supporting Puritan Beliefs

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Extended Metaphor -> Bradstreet compares her book to a child, which shows, which shows both her deep love and her embarrassment over its flaws.

Evidence: “ill formed offspring” (Bradstreet 1)

Puritan Values of Humility -> She emphasizes modesty instead of pride, reflecting the Puritan belief that one should not boast about personal work.

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

Personal Conflict -> She tries again again and again to improve her writing, btu the more she fixes the more problems she notices.

Evidence: “I washed thy face, but more defects I saw” (Bradstreet 14)

Connection to puritan beliefs -> Bradstreet downplays her talent to appear humble, but at the same time reveals the tension between her creativity and her community’s strict values.

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Figurative Meaning: Supporting Puritan Beliefs

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Figurative Meaning: Supporting Puritan Beliefs

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Meaning of the poem is that material objects were temporary and God’s love and grace is permanent and sufficient

Bradstreet is an ideal Puritan by turning to God for comfort

“Yea, so it was, and so ‘twas just./It was His own, it was not mine,/Far be it that I should repine” (Bradstreet 16-18)

Bradstreet justifies the event with the Puritan thought of everything belonging to God so she shouldn’t complain about the house’s burning “The world no longer let me love,/My hope and treasure lies above” (Bradstreet 53-54)

Bradstreet implies that she believes she is one of the elect, a Puritan concept, by thinking about her future house in heaven

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Figurative Meaning: Supporting Puritan Beliefs

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Figurative Meaning: Supporting Puritan Beliefs

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Supports the ideal puritan and beliefs

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

Connect with god

Turns to God for help

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Figurative Meaning: Supporting Puritan Beliefs

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Figurative Meaning: Supporting Puritan Beliefs

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The poem’s central conflict is between Flesh (representing worldly pleasures) and Spirit (representing the soul devoted to God). Spirit repeatedly emphasizes that heavenly rewards are eternal, while earthly riches and pleasures are fleeting:

“My crown’s eternal, made of purest gold,
And glory it doth far surpass
The crowns of earth, that fade and mold,
But theirs doth never pass.”

This reflects the Puritan belief that life on earth is temporary and that the ultimate goal is salvation and eternal life with God.

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Connection to Puritan Beliefs and Everyday Life

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Connection to Puritan Beliefs and Everyday Life

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The dialogue between Flesh and Spirit represents the internal battle every person faces between temptation and righteousness. In everyday life, Puritans were expected to resist worldly pleasures—like wealth, beauty, or comfort—and focus on living a godly, disciplined life:

“Thy vanity thou dost pursue, / A shadow thou dost grasp.”

This reflects a common Puritan experience: balancing human desires with religious duty.

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Connection to Puritan Beliefs and Everyday Life

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Connection to Puritan Beliefs and Everyday Life

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Puritan Beliefs

God’s authority is the supreme authority on Earth

He cannot be wrong because of this

Bradstreet thanks Him for the destruction of her house

Still felt sorrowful about it but expressed gratitude anyway

“The world no longer let me love,/My hope and treasure lies above” (Bradstreet 53-54).

Beliefs of the Time

There is a reason for everything that happens

House burning was a blessing (happened for a reason):

I blest His name that gave and took,

That laid my goods now in the dust:

Yea, so it was, and so ‘twas just.

It was His own, it was not mine,

Far be it that I should repine; (Bradstreet, 14-19)

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Connection to Puritan Beliefs and Everyday Life

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Connection to Puritan Beliefs and Everyday Life

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God is the main leader

Connection with God

"Elect"

Opens up to God through prayer

The Bible is the ultimate authority for faith and daily living

Predestination: God has already chosen who will be saved (elect)

Strict behavior codes

Hard work

Education

Reading the Bible was essential, so literacy was important

Those who didn't abide by or agree with these beliefs were severely punished or banished from the community

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Connection to Puritan Beliefs and Everyday Life

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Connection to Puritan Beliefs and Everyday Life

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Ties with Puritan belief of Societal Perfection

Bradstreet’s poems were too personal for public

Whole poem was about her works

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

Believes all may judge the errors in her works

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

Her focus on the afterlife was caused by her faith, helping her get through her tragedy by being less attached to the material world

To summarize:

Bradstreet demonstrates how people’s faith and religion…

1. Help them cope with tragic events

2. Focus more on the spiritual and afterlife more than the material

How can faith and religion blind people from the truth?

"Upon the Burning of Our House" by Anne Bradstreet suggests that faith and religion can blind people to the truth, as their belief makes them complacent through illogical thinking and an extensive attachment to god.

Bradstreet laments about her house being burned down but instead of looking for solutions or finding a new place to live she says, “Thou hast an house on high erect/…With glory richly furnishéd/ Stands permanent through this be fled” (Bradstreet 43-46).

Seems to be ignoring her current problem to focus on God and the things waiting for her in heaven.

Illogical because she’s not thinking about ways to fix her current situation.

Complacent because she’s going to blindly rely on God to fix her problems.

She’s blinded to the severity of her situation because she just wants to focus on God.

How does faith and religion come to shape American literature?

Bradstreet shows how faith in Puritanism shaped American literature by turning personal tragedy into a spiritual redirection. As her house burns down, she laments, but redirects her attention towards God.

It was His own, it was not mine;
Far be it that I should repine.”

This shows how religion shaped literature into a form of spiritual testimony, not just self-expression.

How can faith and religion reveal truth to people?

The poem reveals several spiritual truths through Bradstreet’s faith. This includes the truth that Earthen items are not permanent.

“Thou hast an house on high erect, / Framed by that mighty Architect.”

Here, she sees the truth that heaven is her real home, not her earthly house.

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

Demonstrated how religion played a controlling role

Impact on the opinion of imperfection

Fear it causes when one tries to step out of line

Believed improper appearances are gods damnation

“...one unfit for light / The visage so irksome in my sight” (Bradstreet 9-10).

Being Seen as an outcast if stepped out of line inspired fear

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

The harsh judgement and the fear that runs the society, which is shown through Anne Bradstreet’s poem, is primarily caused by the religious beliefs of the people.

How does faith and religion blind people from the truth?

She was not happy about her work being published, but people saw the value of her work and didn't want to go to waste.

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

This shows how ashamed of her work she is, and she believes no one should read it.

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

She is afraid that the Puritans will see her poetry through a lens of Christianity and judge her for any mistakes she’s made.

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

How has faith and religion come to shape American literature?

Bradstreet describers her book as a "child" that embarrasses her.

"Thou ill-form'd offspring of my feeble brain."

This reflects the major Puritan belief of modesty and rejection of pride.

How can faith and religion reveal truth to people?

The figurative language of the poem reveals the Puritan truth that everything is sinful and imperfect.

"ill-form'd offspring"

This shows how religion helps her see the truth about herself that she is imperfect.

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

Role of guidance

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

God provided guidance

Prayer provided structure and connection.

How can faith and religion blind people from the truth?

Blinds people by not allowing them to experience different forms of affection from people from what they are taught

Thinks other people's religions are redundant or "Satanic" a reason why they hated the Native Americans

In history it brought antisemitism

Revolves their whole life for God(s) not leaving any room for them to live their life

Puritans wouldn't want to interact as much with those predetermined to hell, almost like untouchables

How has faith and religion come to shape American literature?

Bradstreet emphasizes God's grace and saying that God is Anne's source of strength.

"Thou gav’st me rest, Thou gav’st me ease,
Thou gav’st me health, and liberty."

This goes with the Puritan belief that all blessings come from God which is a central theme in a lot of American writing.

How can faith and religion reveal truth to people

Faith can reveal the truth of gratitude and dependance by acknowledging that every blessing comes from God.

"Thou gav'st me rest, Thou gav'st me ease

Thou gav'st me health, and liberty"

This shows the truth that humans are not self-sufficient in life, and were dependent on others.

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How has faith and religion come to shape American literature?

Religion shaped “The Flesh and the Spirit” by making literature a way to explore the inner spiritual struggle central to Puritan life. Bradstreet personifies the two “sisters,” Flesh and Spirit, to dramatize the battle between worldly desire and eternal faith.

“My crown’s eternal, made of purest gold,
And glory it doth far surpass
The crowns of earth, that fade and mold,
But theirs doth never pass.”

This states a core Puritan value of only Heavenly rewards matter.

How can faith and religion reveal truth to people?

The poem reveals truth by showing how faith exposes the emptiness of worldly pleasures and points to eternal realities:

Truth of vanity: Spirit tells Flesh that material pursuits are “but a shadow.” Faith reveals the truth that earthly desires cannot satisfy the soul.

Truth of eternal reward: Spirit promises a heavenly inheritance that never fades, revealing the truth that spiritual devotion brings lasting peace.

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

In “The Flesh and the Spirit,” faith and religion play the role of a guiding force that gives life meaning, direction, and eternal hope.

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

In “The Flesh and the Spirit,” Bradstreet shows how Spirit dismisses all earthly joys, beauty, and human accomplishments as worthless “shadows.” Spirit insists that only heavenly treasures matter:

“Thy vanity thou dost pursue, / A shadow thou dost grasp.”

This perspective reflects a Puritan mindset, but it can also be seen as limiting or blinding. By rejecting all value in the physical world—art, wealth, pleasure, even human relationships—Spirit suggests that truth exists only in heaven.

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a. It is to provide background information of the poem.

b. It provides the conflict and the context of the entire poem.

"My waking eyes were open kept / And so to lie I found it best" (3-4). Shows that she can't sleep and that she possibly might have done something wrong.

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a. One word that provides a different connotation is "And hath at once both ease and rest/My waking eyes were open kept" (2-3). The word "waking" makes it seem like she is feeling sleepy, and wants to sleep again.

b. This word choice makes it seem like she can't sleep even though she is tired which can lead us to infer that she did something wrong and is uneasy.

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Line 1-2:

Anne is uneasy about something and while others are sleeping she is awake. This goes against Puritan beliefs of sharing everything to God.

Line 3-4:

Anne tells her feeling of unease to an unknown figure which goes against Puritan beliefs of prioritizing something else over God.