Essay: The Colonial Period Assignment
Liberty University English 201
Dr. Christopher Robinson
July 16, 2023
The Colonial Period
When we are reading about the Colonial Period and the literature that is written on it you
will see that it is the foundation of America is today. With Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet,
you will that these two are some of the most influential writers that we have in these times of the
colonial era. When we are reading the literature today you can see that their writings will offer us
a peek of what their theme and what was allowed for you to contrast about the differences in the
writing schemes of their time periods of the colonial era. While writing this paper I will show
you and explore what they have written in similar and the differences of this time of the colonial
era. And how they narrate what they have in a device that is in their famous poems of
“Huswifery” and “To My Dear and Loving Husband”. When are reading these two authors
poems you can see that they are pivotal on the influence back the colonial era and they are using
their voice as the foundation to help with the American people and colonies.
When you are reading the poems of “Huswifery” and “To My Dear and Loving Husband”
you can see they have the theme of love. Anne Bradstreet when she wrote her poem you can see
that she was displaying her love for her husband and you can see this in the lines of 5 through 10
with it stating “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, or all the riches that the East doth
could hold. My love is such that rivers cannot quench, nor ought but love from thee, give
recompense. Thy love is such I can no way repay, the heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.”
(Eberwein 1978, p. 88) You will also see that when you are reading Anne Bradstreet’s poems you
will see that she will talk about how lucky she has been to be loved by her husband and that she
can receive this love back. You will see the feeling of the dominance between Anne’s external
value that are in the lines of 11 through 12, “Then while we live, in love let’s so preserve, that
when we live no more, we may live never.” (Belasco & Johnson, 2014, p. 200) When you are
reading the poem by Edward Taylor you will see that his poem will display the love that is
between God and the humanity. With this it will compare the relationship of the components and
what they act on the in a spinning wheel. When this author is writing his poem, he wants us to
see that he has a love for God and to guide others to him, “My wayes with glory and thee glorify,
then mine apparel shall display before yee, that I am clothed in Holy robes for glory.” (Eberwein,
1978, p. 88) When Edward Taylor is writing his poems you will see that he is speaking from the
eternal love for God. You will see that he is giving God all his love in his writings to receive the
greater love from in return. With both authors you will see that they are speaking with gratifying
and everlasting love that is within their entity for their relationships.
While I was reading both authors, I was seeing that they have several characteristics that
are in their poems, and they are tied to the Colonial Era. When we are looking at these poems you
can see that both poems are the products of the literature in the 1600s and the authors used
paraphrasing to deliver the Old Testament, “My love is such that rivers cannot quench”, Solomon
8:7 states, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.” (Crossway,2016) “Huswifery” meant
housekeeping, in the 1700s. Psalm 51:2 states, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and
cleanse me from my sin!” (Crossway, 2016) The extended metaphor to this poem is “God is the
cloth maker, and the speaker acts as the clothing-making tool, the speaker offers himself as God’s
humble earthly servant.” (Furey, 2012, p. 218-19) When you are looking for the poem that
Edward Taylor wrote you can see that he is writing about the religious reform. And the poem that
Anne Bradstreet wrote about she was writing about love for her husband.
When you are reading these two poems you can see that they have different narrative in
several ways that are displayed for us to read. When you are reading the poem “To My Dear and
Loving Husband” you will that it is the theatrical poem, and the Anne will be overly extravagant
with the love that she has for her husband with her language. While you are reading the poem
written by Edward Taylor “Huswifery” you can see that he is using the poem for imagery. You will
see him using his relationship with God. When you are reading both poems you will they are will
appeal to the audience with they are written.
In conclusion while I was reading both poems you can see that their writing work and
will appeal to the readers. Both poems have the themes, characteristics, and eye-catching proof
for each one in the colonial era. While reading about this time in our history of America you will
see that America lots going on with events. With these poems you can see that they have evidence
that dealt with the events of that time but in different ways. Both poems brought us love and
relationship.
Word Count: 944
Reference:
Belasco, S., & L. Johnson (Eds). (2014). Anne Bradstreet [1612-1672]. The Bedford anthology of
American literature, Vol. 1 (2nd ed., p.200). New York, NY: Bedford St. Martin’s
Belasco, S., & L. Johnson (Eds). (2014). Edward Taylor [1642-1729]. The Bedford anthology of
American literature, Vol. 1 (2nd ed., p.292). New York, NY: Bedford St. Martin’s
Eberwein, Jane Donahue. Early American Poetry Selections from Bradstreet, Taylor, Dwight,
Freneau, and Bryant. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1978. Print.
Furey. (2012). Relational Virtue: Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, and Puritan Marriage. The
Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies., 42(1), 201–224.
https://doi.org/10.1215/10829636-1473154
English Standard Version. (2016). Crossway. https://www.esv.org/
