ENG 241 Howard University Themes Evident in the Bradstreet Poems Discussion
Module 2: Overview: A New England
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Summary
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Module 2 surveys a number of texts produced by Puritan and New England writers in the early part of American Colonial History.
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Objectives
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- Demonstrate critical reading, thinking, and writing skills by analyzing texts produced by Puritan and New England writers in the early part of American Colonial History;
- Identify content, structure, and style in literary texts;
- Recognize the value inherent in literary art forms and the powerful impact they may have on audiences;
- Identify and analyze the connections between the literature and American history and philosophical and religious movements;
- Recognize the contribution of the literature to the development of contemporary culture;
- Define and provide examples of the literary characteristics of works by American authors from the pre-colonial period;
- Discuss some recurring themes of American literature.
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Readings
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- Study Sheet: Study Sheet 3_The Puritans.docx download
- Matthew 5.1-48: Sermon on the Mount.doc download
- St. Augustine excerpt: City of God.doc download
- “A Model of Christian Charity,” John Winthrop, pp 177-89
- “The Wonders of the Invisible World,” Cotton Mather, pp 321-5
- “A Description of New England,” John Smith, pp 111-2; 123-5
- “Of Plymouth Plantation,” William Bradford, pp 129-48
- Poems, Edward Taylor, pp 302-8; read the following:
- “Meditation 26 (Links to an external site.),”
- “Upon Wedlock…,”
- “Upon a Wasp…,”
- “A Fig for thee, oh Death! (Links to an external site.)”
- Poems, Anne Bradstreet, read the following:
- p 218; “The Flesh and the Spirit”
- p 234; “The Author to Her Book”
- p 236; “ Upon the Burning of Our House”
- p 244; “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild” (all 3 poems, pp 242)
- ***“A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration,” Mary Rowlandson, pp 267-84; 293-301
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NOTE: Readings that begin with *** are longer works, and will take more time to complete. Students should plan their reading schedules accordingly!
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Assignments
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Note: You will see the directions to these assignments in the following pages of Module 2.
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Please complete all of these assignments before the conclusion of Module 2:
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- Complete all readings
- Discussion #2: A New England
- Challenge Task #2
- Writing Assignment #2
- Paper #1 Research Questionnaire
- Quiz #2
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Section 1
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Module 2: Discussion #2: A New England
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No unread replies.No replies.
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Directions
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Before beginning your second discussion thread, Review the Discussion Board Expectations in the Syllabus under Course Grading.
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(1) In this discussion, there are a number of Discussion Prompts listed below. You must respond to TWO of them.
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- Make your initial post before the Module is halfway over. (As always, please consult the course Calendar where the instructor will list specific due dates.)
- Return before the Module closes and respond to at least two classmates’ posts, preferably on the same topics you chose. Continue the conversation with your fellow students.
- Students are expected to read what other students have posted.
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Students may reply to, or expand upon, points made by other students in the thread.
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(2) To earn points:
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- All posts should average about two paragraphs minimum.
- All posts MUST be significant and substantial contributions that demonstrate your mastery of the readings. If you are not earning full points for discussions, then be sure to review the Instructor comments and the grading rubric.
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Remember: a Literature class IS Reading and Discussion…there are no “right” answers to these questions!
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GENERAL NOTE: remember…
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- Discussions are informal, personal responses based on your own reading of a text
- Do not “research”websites or repeat the editor’s comments or copy/paste from any outside source: use your own brain
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A Literature class IS Reading and Discussion…there are no “right” answers to these questions!
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Discussion #2 Prompts
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Discussion Question #1
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Puritan Writers
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Review the study sheet on Puritans. Then, think about the elements of Puritan thought listed there, and apply those ideas to our readings. The Puritans were a highly influential group in early American history and literature. One reason for their influence is that they created the first schools and colleges in America, and so laid the foundation of modern Democratic Education. As well, they were a organized and cohesive group, unified not by nationality or race, but by a commitment to an ideal, the Puritan Ideal.
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- What elements of Puritan thought reviewed on the study sheet can you see in the writings of the this unit? Find examples from the readings that are explained in the study sheet.
- Read the poem, “The Flesh and the Spirit,” by Bradstreet. Who are the speakers of this poem? What do they argue about? How does this poem illustrate the Puritan world view?
- How does the emphasis on reading the Bible personally influence Puritan ideas of literacy and education? Why is it important for all Puritan to be literate, whose responsibility is it to ensure, and how does that relate to modern American education?
- In what ways does the Puritan World View reflect the broader “Christian World View” of the vast majority of Europeans? In what ways are the Puritans different from your average European?
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Think about the Puritan emphasis on individual conscience in “the appeal to the model of Christ.” (Look at this concept in the Glossary) This argument, directed to a Christian audience, tries to convince that audience to “do the right thing” by appealing to the example of Christ, to show mercy and love for all human beings, the “golden rule.” Where can we see this appeal reflected in the readings of this unit? Why is this an important appeal in American history?
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Discussion Question #2
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Two Women Writers
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In this Module, we read two important early American women writers: Anne Bradstreet and Mary Rowlandson. Both of these writers were very influential in early American literature and history. In a very real sense, both of these women were “on their own” in the vast wilderness of the New World. Rowlandson is literally in the “savage” wilderness, captive to Indians; but also, as a lone female poet struggling to learn her art and develop her technique, Bradstreet is also “alone” in the wilderness of the “literary world”. In the Neoclassical Age, to develop as a poet, a poet needs to interact with other poets, needs access to literature and the society of literate people to learn and master the techniques that “make a poet” then. These things did not exist in Bradstreet’s time in America, so her poems are more amazing because she really did achieve it all by herself.
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Unlike most of the Puritan writers, Bradstreet’s poetry continues to be very popular in the modern day, and she is always a popular discovery for many readers in this class. She is foundational in the creation of a “tradition” of women’s literature in American Literary history, but it’s important to also note that she is also the foundational poet in all American Literature. Edward Taylor, the other important poet of the Puritan period, does not have the modern popularity and appeal that Bradstreet does. Readers just enjoy Bradstreet’s poems more, and fewer readers know Taylor than Bradstreet.
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Rowlandson is influential for different reasons. She is not the “great writer” that Bradstreet is; rather, she is an average writer with a great tale to tell, and we read her today to gain insight into the ideas and the time (and because it’s fun to read). Her narrative is somewhat controversial in the modern day because her descriptions of Native Americans, and the judgments she makes of their society, were widely read. Some modern readers believe, therefore, that her narrative helps to establish the negative stereotypes of Native Americans that, in later years, contribute to the destruction of Indian culture. On the other hand, many readers find her narrative exciting, revealing, and connected to the active ideas of their own Faith. It is also factually true, and the massacre that begins the narrative took place in actual history not far from this College. As well, many modern Christian readers still react profoundly to her text, and it’s interesting to see that even after 300 years, she is still addressing her Christian audience successfully. Still other readers just find it a really interesting and enjoyable historical read!
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- Think about the poems of Bradstreet. What themes does Bradstreet focus on in her poems? Talk about one or two of the big ideas you think Bradstreet develops.
- Bradstreet writes a kind of poem that is often called “contemplative”. Review the glossary entry for contemplative poetry, and then apply that definition to one of the poems by Bradstreet.
- Why do you think Bradstreet’s poems remain popular with readers in the modern day? Speculate on the question using the readings you’ve completed.
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What poem by Bradstreet did you like best: summarize the poem and explain why.
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- What about Rowlandson? What themes come out of her “Captivity Narrative”? Explain
- What are the “negative stereotypes”, that some readers object to in Rowlandson? Do you think she is harsh, demeaning, or unfair to the Natives, or is her attitude understandable? Explain.
- At first, Rowlandson is filled, understandably , with great anger, hatred, and fear of her Indian masters. Does Rowlandson change her views of Natives by the end of her story? If so, how? Where do you see it, if at all?
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What part of Rowlandson’s narrative did you enjoy the most, or find the most interesting? Summarize the episode and explain why.
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Which of the two writers did you enjoy reading more? Why? Explain.
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Discussion Question #3
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Smith’s “Historie” and “the Description“
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These are important texts because they show us some of the reasons, perhaps the most important reason, why today America’s primary language is English, and why our cultural heritage is English rather than French or Spanish. This reason is demonstrated in his argument addressed to the people of England.
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- Importantly, Smith is NOT a Puritan, and he makes a more practical and economic argument to his audience. In so doing, he is arguably the first writer to talk about what we today call “The American Dream.” What is Smith’s argument? Who is it SPECIFICALLY addressed to? What is his purpose as a writer? How can we see it as the beginning to the metaphor of “the American Dream”? How is it not so? Explain?
- What does he mean by a “NEW” England? How does his argument show why the cultural heritage of America is predominantly English? What about his argument demonstrates the primary difference between English purposes in the new world, and those of the French and the Spanish?
- Explain Smith’s “vision” for America to become a “New England”? Compare this to the Puritan vision of a “City on a Hill”? How are these two visions similar and different?
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For many students in this class, Smith’s writing is also Virginia History, and the land and people he describes is the same land we drive through every day, and many of the people we read about in this class lived right here in Northern Virginia. Many of the roads we drive everyday were built hundreds of years ago. Today we call them Rte 28 and Rte 1, but these are old old roads (for America), and down them traveled settlers, armies, adventurers, merchants, and Indians too. Great battles were fought in our backyards and parks, and Indian villages lie beneath many of our cities and towns. Finally, many of towns, the rivers, the mountains, and even the states are Indian names. Comment on this insight: does knowing this affect how we read these texts?
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Section 2
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Module 2: Challenge Task #2
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Start Assignment
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Points 10
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Submitting a file upload
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How do Puritans use the Bible to prove arguments? Mary Rowlandson’s narrative shows many examples of HOW they reasoned THROUGH the Bible to discover (for them) “the truth.” It is for this reason that the Puritans valued literacy: they had to be able to read the Bible. Look at the process of reasoning that Rowlandson follows:
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- She has an experience she needs to understand, so she thinks about in the context of her Christian world view
- Then, she turns to self-reflection, reads the Bible, and seeks a passage that seems to relate to the experience in some way
- Using that passage as a guide, she “interprets” the meaning of the real experience, trying to understand what “God” wants her to learn
- Then, she quotes directly from the Bible: this is the “proof”
- And then she affirms the truth again by interpreting the event according to what the Bible says it means
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Directions
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From the readings assigned for this unit, show an example of a writer using language from the Christian Bible to “prove” an argument. Use a signal phrase, correctly quote the language, and give a correct in-text citation. Then, explain the argument that is being focused on in the quote and how the writer uses the Bible to influence his or her Christian audience.
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Here’s an example of another Puritan writer using the Bible to prove an argument:
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In his “Model of Christian Charity,” Winthrop argues that “[t]here is a time also when a Christian…must give beyond their ability, as they of Macedonia, Corinthians: 2.8” (179).
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Your response should be about 3-5 sentences.
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You must complete Challenge Task #2 by the end of Module 2.
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Rubric
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Challenge Task Rubric
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Challenge Task Rubric |
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Criteria |
Ratings |
Pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeBasic Writing |
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3 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeDocumentation |
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3 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeContent |
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4 pts |
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Total Points: 10 |
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Section 3
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Module 2: Writing Assignment #2
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Start Assignment
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Directions
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For this writing assignment, consider the question of the importance of writing and reading in early American Puritan society. Why is it important that every Puritan be able to read and write? Then, explain the importance (the legacy) of this “reading and writing tradition” in the modern American society and attitudes. Think about HOW the Puritan reads the Bible, and for what purpose.
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Your writing should have TWO parts, as you have a two-part question to respond to. Begin each section with a clear response to the prompt. Follow that with a discussion of your response, and then end with evidence taken directly from one or more texts.
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NOTE: This is not a research assignment. Answer from your own insight into the readings.
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Suggested Writing Plan:
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- in the first paragraph, explain the reasons for Puritan ideas about literacy
- in the second paragraph, explain how this early influence expresses itself in our modern society
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Your writing should be about 350 or so words in length. Remember to follow MLA format, clean up and organize your writing, and cite your evidence using MLA in-text style.
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This is DUE by the end of Module 2. (As always, consult the Course Calendar for specific dates.)
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Please compose your work in WORD and click “Submit Assignment” when you are ready.
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Check out the Writing Assignment Rubric below for further guidance.
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Writing Assignment Rubric
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Standard #2: |
Standard #3: |
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Rubric
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Writing Assignment Rubric
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Writing Assignment Rubric |
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Criteria |
Ratings |
Pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWriting and Organization |
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5 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCritical Content |
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10 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMLA |
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5 pts |
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Total Points: 20 |
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Section 4
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Paper #1 Assignment
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Directions
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Write a 2-3 page analytical response to a selected scholarly article.
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To complete this assignment, you should review the scholarly articles listed below. From this list, select an essay that you understand and that talks about a work of literature you understand. Each article is different in complexity and sophistication of argument, in subject, and in style and organization. You should review the abstracts of each article, and then carefully select an article that:
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- Discusses a work of literature you have read and that you comprehend
- Makes an argument that you comprehend about that work of literature; that is, you understand the thesis of the article, and you understand the reasons the writer gives for his or her thesis about which you have a thoughtful opinion: that is, you have a developed critical response to the writer’s thesis
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Then write two part essay:
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- One part should summarize the argument presented in the essay: this section should begin with a clear signal phrase, and then state the thesis of the essay. It should then fairly summarize the main parts of the writer’s argument, focusing on the reasoning used by the writer.
- One part should develop you own critical response to the argument: this section should begin your argument, your response, and then should explain your reasoning in 2-3 organized paragraphs. A “critical response” evaluates and replies to the argument in the article; it is not a personal reaction
- Be sure to attach a .pdf, of the article, as a separate document, when you submit the Questionnaire for grading
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Correct MLA documentation and formatting are required.
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This paper is worth 100 points and 10 percent of your final grade.
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Special NOTE: Students must complete and submit the Paper #1 Questionnaire before submitting the final draft of the paper.
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Each of these articles is available free, full-text in one the databases in your campus online library (Links to an external site.) : it is up to you to find the article.
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List of Scholarly Articles:
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- Arner, Robert D. “Neoclassicism and Romanticism: A Reading of Freneau’s ‘The Wild Honey Suckle.’ ” Early American Literature, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Spring, 1974), pp. 53-61
- Brandt, Ellen B. “Anne Bradstreet: The Erotic Component in Puritan Poetry.” Women’s Studies. Jan1980, Vol. 7 Issue 1/2, p39+.
- Collins, Janelle. “Passage to Slavery, Passage to Freedom: Oloudah Equiano and the Sea.” The Midwest Quarterly. Vol 47, Iss 3, Spring 2006, pp209-223.
- Downing, David. “‘Streams of Scripture Comfort’ Mary Rowlandson’s Typological Use of the Bible.” Early American Literature 15.3 (1980): 252.
- Shurr, William H. “‘Now, Gods, Stand Up for Bastards’: Reinterpreting Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography.” American Literature 64:3 (1992): 435-51.
- Sigelman, Lee, Colin Martindale, and Dean McKenzie. “The Common Style of ‘Common Sense’.” Computers and the Humanities, Vol 30, No 5, 1996/1997, pp 373-9.
- Thorpe, Peter. “Edward Taylor as Poet.” The New England Quarterly, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Sep., 1966), pp. 356-372
- Tooker, Elisabeth. “The United States Constitution and the Iroquois League.” Ethnohistory, Vol 35, Iss 4, Fall 1988, pp305-36.
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Be sure to review the following rubric before beginning your paper and before submitting your final version
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Rubric
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Analytic Paper Rubric
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Analytic Paper Rubric |
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Criteria |
Ratings |
Pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeBasic Writing and Organization |
20 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAnalysis of Argument |
20 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCritical Response |
20 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomePresentation and Format |
20 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeDocumentation and Use of Evidence |
20 pts |
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Total Points: 100 |
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