Upon The Burning Of Our House Analysis

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Puritan Age Authors The Puritan Age lasted the entirety of the seventeenth century. Anne Bradstreet’s work is from early in the century, as for Jonathan Edwards, his work represents the latter half of the century. Bradstreet’s works include To My Dear and Loving Husband and Upon the Burning of Our House, both are poems that represent her faith in God and how he chooses to reward the Puritans for their faith. Opposingly, Edwards’ sermon, Sinners of an Angry God, expresses his opinion of God finding pleasure in punishing those who disagree with his faith. Bradstreet and Edwards’ works compare and contrast in many ways including how they express their faith, and the intensity of their emotions. Though both authors have a passionate devotion …show more content…
In any of the three works given, three of the seven tenets of Puritan Writing were enforced dominantly. Bradstreet proves this with this quote from Upon The Burning of Our House, “Thou hast an house on high erect,/ framed by that mighty Architect,” (lines 38-39). In this, Bradstreet writes about accepting her belongings burning with her house because she has a home in Heaven. She uses tenets two, three and four to express her feelings in this poem. Edwards uses tenets one, two and four to express his feelings on natural men, “They [natural men] are now the objects of that very same anger and wrath of God, that is expressed in the torments of hell,” (129). In this Edwards uses his power to inform the sinners they are on a path to hell. Later in his sermon, though, Edwards informs the sinners they can change their path to one of salvation, “Therefore, let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come,” (129). In the excerpt, Edwards shows an intense example of the third tenet of Puritan Writing. The two also use hyperbole and biblical allusions in their writings. An example of hyperbole in Bradstreet’s poem, To My Dear and Loving Husband, is “Thy love is such I can no way repay,/ the Heavens reward thee manifold, I pray,” (lines 9-10). In this she means that her love to her husband is so strong and powerful that it cannot be repaid on earth, but only in Heaven. Edwards’ uses hyperbole in many parts of his sermons, one specific example from Sinners of an Angry God, is where he says “It is everlasting wrath” (129). Meaning that if one doesn’t follow the Puritan ways or hasn’t been touched by God, they will experience God’s morbid anger endlessly in hell. In conclusion, authors of the Puritan Age have a large difference in writing styles, but focus their lives and works on continuous salvation and being

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