English 11 / Unit 1: Early American Voices
1.3 Puritan Poetry and Sermons
Notes
Puritan writers also used poetry and sermons to explore faith, doubt and fear.
- Anne Bradstreet wrote poems about family, home and faith. Her collection, published in 1650, made her one of the first published poets in the colonies.
- In poems such as "Verses upon the Burning of our House," she mourns lost belongings but reminds herself that her real hope lies in heaven.
- Jonathan Edwards preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" (1741) during the Great Awakening, a religious revival.
- Edwards used frightening imagery, such as a spider dangling over a fire, to make listeners feel their danger.
- Poems show private feeling; sermons aim to persuade a crowd to change.
Practice
What was Anne Bradstreet's major achievement?
Her poetry was published in 1650.
Why did Jonathan Edwards compare sinners to a spider held over a fire?
The image was meant to persuade through fear and vivid detail.
In her poem about her burning house, Bradstreet finally turns her attention to:
The poem moves from grief over losses to faith in lasting rewards.
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