Running head: THE COLONIAL PERIOD ASSIGNMENT
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The Colonial Period Assignment- Turabian Style
Lindsey Slagle
Engl201
June 5, 2023
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Time of the Colonies Literature laid the groundwork for modern American literature. Two
of the most important authors of the colonial era were Edward Taylor and Anne Bradstreet. Their
works, which can be found in modern literature, provide insight into Colonial-era subjects and
provide interesting comparisons of writing styles. The following paper will analyze the two
poets' most well-known works, "Huswifery" and "To My Dear and Loving Husband," contrasting
their use of narrative tropes, era customs, and other elements. Anne Bradstreet and Edward
Taylor both contributed critically to the development of the American people and the colonies
throughout the Colonial Period.
A common thread running through both "Huswifery" and "To My Dear and Loving
Husband" is undying devotion to one's spouse. In lines five through ten, Bradstreet tells her
husband how much she values their relationship more than money or material possessions. "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, page 88)
Bradstreet reflects on how fortunate she is to love and be cherished by her husband. In lines 11
and 12, Bradstreet expresses a sense of superiority over time: "Then while we live, in love let's
so preserve, that when we live no more, we may live ever." (Belasco & Johnson, 2014, p. 200) In
his poem, Taylor illustrates the bond between God and humans by drawing parallels between
human interactions and the mechanisms of a spinning wheel. He hopes to demonstrate his
devotion to God by leading people 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) Taylor's poetry depicts a love for God that will last forever. The more love he receives from
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God, the more he is willing to pour forth to God. Both Bradstreet and Taylor describe the love
they share with one another as fulfilling, unending, and eternal.
Both authors' poetry reflects many of the era's colonial characteristics. Mechanisms from
the 1600s are used in both pieces. Taylor and Bradstreet shared their devotion for one another
with rousing verses from the Old Testament, such as "My love is such that rivers cannot quench."
According to Solomon 8:7, neither floods nor water can put an end to love. A man would be
looked down upon even if he handed away his whole fortune out of love. (Crossway, 2016) In
the 1700s, the word "huswifery" was used to indicate the labor that was done in the home. "Wash
me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!" it says in the Bible. (Psalm 51:2).
As an expansion of the metaphor that "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) Taylor's poetry flourished during the period of the religious revolution. Taylor's poetry
was about a love that was far away yet still close, while Bradstreet's was about a love that could
be felt with a touch.
Both authors leave traces of themselves in their writing. Their subjects, styles, and
narrative conventions are all indicative of the colonial era in which they were written. However,
many significant events occurred around the country during this period. The poems show how
each individual reacted to the situation uniquely. Both "To My Dear and Loving Husband" and
"Huswifery" refer to a deeper meaning of love, while being set in quite different situations.
During the Colonial Era, these poems held significant cultural and literary weight. The closeness
Bradstreet and Taylor envisioned in their poetry was a rebuttal to the worry of being alone
without hopelessness.
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References:
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.
English Standard Version. (2016). Crossway. https://www.esv.org/
