Midterm Flashcards
Who wrote “The Author to Her Book”?
Bradstreet
(The Author to Her Book - Bradstreet): What is meant with “ill-formed offspring”?
- Bradstreet’s book of poems that was published in England by her brother-in-law
- As a Puritan wife/woman, she shouldn’t be writing poems, and she shows humility by referring to her poems as “ill-formed offspring”.
What is “The Author to Her Book” (Bradstreet) about?
- The main metaphor the “ill-formed offspring” and “rambling brat”, being her collection of poems
- For her it was very important to show humility, and therefore she refers to her work very critically but in a smart way
- It might be fake humility in order to not be exiled
- The fact that she wrote this poem in the first place shows that she has mastered poetry
Who wrote “To My Dear and Loving Husband”?
Bradstreet
“I prize thy love more than whole mines gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.”
- Who is the author + from which poem?
- Which metaphors are used and why are they interesting?
- Bradstreet: “To My Dear and Loving Husband”
- Whole mines of gold + riches: values of capitialism are shown
- East: her family sailed to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which was in the east of the US. And they had a lot of money + the area was well-off (?)
“My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.”
- Who is the author + from which poem?
- Which metaphors are used and why are they interesting?
- Bradstreet: “To My Dear and Loving Husband”
- Rivers cannot quech: reference to stanza in Geneva Bible –> heavenly/divine sort of love
“The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persever[e],
That when we live no more, we may live ever.”
- Who is the author and from which work is this quote?
- Why is this quote interesting?
- Bradstreet: “To My Dear and Loving Husband”
- Many references to heaven and a heavenly love –> shows Bradstreet’s Puritan belief
- Reward: Influence of capitalism
Which other themes are found in “To My Dear and Loving Husband” (Bradstreet)?
- A City upon the Hill (Winthrop, 1630): Bradstreet boarded the ship with Winthrop, and he explains an idealised Christian community + it’s a reference to the Bible (Quote from Jesus)
- American Exceptionalism: the Americans are the chosen ones, the rest of the world should look at us as a model for freedom
Why is Bradstreet relevant?
- First published North American (English colonist in her perspective) poet in English
- Poems reveal Puritan belief as well as day to day life of women in colonial New England
“At thy return my blushing was not small,
My rambling brat (in print) should mother call,
I cast thee by as one unfit for light,”
- Who is the author + from which poem?
- Which metaphors are used and why are they interesting?
- Bradstreet: “The Author to Her Book”
- Blushing: she is ashamed of her work, showing humility
- My rambling brat: personification of her book of poem, that her work said things that shouldn’t be said (by her)
- One unfit for light: her poems shouldn’t have been published in the first place because she is a woman who shouldn’t be writing in the first place
“I washed thy face, but more defects I saw,
And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw.
I stretched thy joints to make thee even feet,
Yet still thou run ‘st more hobbling than is meet;”
- Who is the author + from which poem?
- Which metaphors are used and why are they interesting?
- Bradstreet: “The Author to Her Book”
- Bradstreet tries to correct her work, but it made it worse
Who wrote “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet”?
Bradstreet
“Blest babe why should I once bewail thy fate,
Or sigh the days so soon were terminate,
Sith thou art setteld in an everlasting state.”
- Who is the author + from which poem?
- Which metaphors are used and why are they interesting?
- Bradstreet: “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet”
- Blest + fate: faith is set before birth by God and be blessed by God
- Text says there is no reason to be sad because it was God’s plan + child is in heaven, but the tone is sad instead of rejoice
- It shows the contrast between her Puritan belief and her struggle as a grandmother/human being
- An everlasting state: eternity in heaven
What are broader characteristics of Bradstreet’s “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet”?
- Life is short –> poem is short
- Bradstreet doesn’t write like a typical Puritan thought, on the surface it looks like she accepts it, but between the lines there is some sorrow
Who wrote “Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House”?
Bradstreet
“I wakened was with thund’ring noise,
And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.”
- Who is the author + from which poem?
- Which metaphors are used and why are they interesting?
- Bradstreet: “Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House”
- The speaker freaks out, which she shouldn’t because what happens if God’s plan
- Bradstreet is behaving in a way that makes sense to us
“And when I could no longer look,
I blest His name that gave and took,
That laid my goods now in the dust.”
- Who is the author + from which poem?
- Which metaphors are used and why are they interesting?
- Bradstreet: “Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House”
- This is an appropriate reaction for a good Puritan when this happens
- She is thankful for God for giving her the stuff to borrow and now God is taking it back now
“When by the ruins oft I past
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,
And here and there the places spy
Where oft I sate and long did lie:”
- Who is the author + from which poem?
- Which metaphors are used and why are they interesting?
- Bradstreet: “Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House”
- The house remains are still there and she misses her possessions –> just like a normal person
“Then straight I ‘gin my heart to chide,
And did they wealth on earth abide?”
- Who is the author + from which poem?
- Which metaphors are used and why are they interesting?
- Bradstreet: “Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House”
- She scolds herself for caring about her material things
- Chide = scold
“Thou hast a house on high erect
Framed by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished,
Stands permanent though this be fled.”
- Who is the author + from which poem?
- Which metaphors are used and why are they interesting?
- Bradstreet: “Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House”
- She goes to heaven anyway, so she can leave the material things on earth behind –> shows her strongest connection with faith
- Glory richly: language of capitalism, and it’s integrating in the language of religion
- Architect: God
“The world no longer let me love,
My hope and treasure lies above.”
- Who is the author + from which poem?
- Which metaphors are used and why are they interesting?
- Bradstreet: “Here Follows Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House”
- This quote shows a sense of tranquility
- She lands on a good Puritan belief/stance
What are some main themes of Bradstreet’s poems?
- Tension between reality and an ideal manifest
- Puritan beliefs: she is part of the establishment (Branch from the Church of England, est. by King Henry VIII), wanting to share her religion
Who wrote the “Declaration of Independence?”
Jefferson
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
- Who is the author and from which work is this quote?
- Why is this quote interesting?
- Jefferson wants to promote equality
–>* Enlightenment and Revolutionary Ideals which followed from the American Revolutionary War* - Creator instead of a God
- We control own destiny because we are all born rational
- Freedom
- As logical humans, we are all created equal so we deserve equal rights
“To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world for the truth of which we pledge a faith yet unsullied by falsehood.”
- Who is the author and from which work is this quote?
- Why is this quote interesting?
- Jefferson: “Declaration of Independence”
- The reasons to become independent from Great Brittain follow
- “for the truth of which we pledge faith yet unsullied by falsehood” –> removed from final draft.
“… in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere,”
- Who is the author and from which work is this quote?
- Why is this quote interesting?
- Jefferson: “Declaration of Independence”
- Congress had slaves themselves
- Slavery is part of the Socio-economics of the US
- Ironic because they want freedowm that is incompatible with slavery
- Jefferson recognised that slavery was bad
- This quote was removed in the final draft
“… he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people on whom he also obstruded them:”
- Who is the author and from which work is this quote?
- Why is this quote interesting?
- Jefferson: “Declaration of Independence”
- Implicit condemnation of the African slave trade
- Almost all founding fathers are slave owners
- This quote is removed in the final draft.
“Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren.”
- Who is the author and from which work is this quote?
- Why is this quote interesting?
- Jefferson: “Declaration of Independence”
- Before this quote, Jefferson is heavily critising the king
- After this quote, Jefferson is talking about the British people
“We must endeavor to forget our former love for them, and hold them as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.”
- Who is the author and from which work is this quote?
- Why is this quote interesting?
- Jefferson: “Declaration of Independence”
- British people are the enemy just like the king –> condemnation of the British people
- For success of the US, trade and allies are necessary, so Congress didn’t want to cut ties with the British people, and therefore this part was removed
- Them: The British people
What are characteristics of Enlightment and Revolutionary Ideals?
- During American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
- Humans can understand Universe through applying reason
- Evidence for logical, orderly Creator (aka religion is not rational)
- Humans born neither good nor bad; they can control their own destiny through reason
How are the characteristics of the Enlightment and Revolutionary Ideals different from the Puritan thought?
- [ER] Creator, neutral and no influence anymore now vs [P] God, everything happens because of God’s will
- [ER] Humans neither good nor bad vs [P] God decides who’s good and who’s bad
- [ER] Humans can control own destiny vs [P] God decides
- [ER] Goal is knowledge, freedom and happiness vs [P] go to heaven
- [ER] Goal of education is to learn to think rationally vs [P] education is way to God
What’s Jefferson’s literary significance?
- Decl. of Indep. reflects tension between ideals vs reality that have shaped American Literature from the beginning
- Ideals: equality - reality: 1/5 of citizens is enslaved
- Decl. of Indep. shows the important role that writing (literature) has played in defining American identity from the beginning
- Normally, etnicity/language/religion is used to define itself, but these options were not available for US so they have to write themselves into existence
Was Wheatley a slave?
She was brought to Boston as a slave (1761) but later gained freedom (1773)
