· web viewmidterm exam notes american lit fall 2015 beginnings to 1700 the eighteenth century...

Midterm exam notesAmerican Lit Fall 2015

Beginnings to 1700

The eighteenth century

Concepts and Categories

Pilgrims & Puritans Enlightenment and Great Awakening vocab

William Bradford Jonathan Edwards Elements of poetry

Anne Bradstreet Benjamin Franklin Themes

Themes:

Formation of a specifically American literary culture

Characteristic genres: Spiritual narrative—Edwards Poetry—Bradstreet

o Social, political, philosophical issueso family and domestic life

topBackground: Pilgrims and Puritans in New England

Their religious outlook, known generally as “reform theology,” developed from such 16th-century Reformation figures as Martin Luther and (especially) John Calvin. They were radically opposed to the authority and doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and were often in conflict with the Church of England as well. Subjected to persecution by the church and government, they often left England, and in the 17th century, beginning with the Pilgrims in 1620, they came to America in large numbers.

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William Bradford (1590–1657)

Midterm exam notes F20152

Pilgrims settled in the Plymouth, Massachusetts, area in 1620. Bradford was a prominent member of the group.

Of Plymouth Plantation (1630-1650)—Bradford’s two-volume history of the Pilgrim settlement.

Overview of the parts we’ve read: Begins with accounts of the group’s earliest days in England, the

persecution they experienced, the move to the Netherlands, and the decision, some ten years later, to relocate once more, to “America.”

after a perilous voyage on the Mayflower, they settled at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, across the bay from Cape Cod:

“First Encounter”—skirmish with Indians while exploring shortly after their arrival

Thanksgiving—very brief description Slaughter of the Pequots—for Bradford, a “sweet sacrifice” to God Eventually, at least in Bradford’s view, the community began to break

down, leaving the old church like a forsaken “widow” “providence”—an important term and concept throughout this early period in American Lit. It has particular religious significance:

“divine providence”— The foreknowing and protective care of God (or nature, etc.); divine direction, control, or guidance.

orOften as “special providence”—An act or instance of divine intervention; an event or circumstance which indicates divine dispensation.

RQs


Why did Bradford’s group feel compelled to “leave their houses and habitations” in England (2)? Why did they choose the “Low Countries” as their destination?

“hunted and persecuted on every side”; “some were taken and clapped up in prison, others had their houses beset and watched night and day, and hardly escaped their hands”“they resolved to go into the Low Countries, where they heard was freedom of religion for all men; as also how sundry from London, and other parts of the land, had been exiled and persecuted for the same cause, and were gone thither, and lived at Amsterdam, and in other places of the land”

Briefly, and in your own words, summarize each of the four “sundry weighty and solid reasons” that Bradford gives for the group’s decision to leave the city of Leyden (3). One sentence for each reason should suffice.

Unlikely to attract new members because of the harshness of their lives

People leaving because getting older and unable to continue to withstand hardships

Children: bad health because of hard life; also drifting away from their strict practice

Spreading the gospel in the world

At pages 4-5, Bradford discusses the debate about whether the group should journey to the “vast and unpeopled countries of America.” List four of the “fears and doubts” that were raised in opposition to the proposal, and two of the arguments made in favor of it.

Opposition Dangers of sea voyage (“unconceivable perils and

dangers”)

Length of voyage and poor health of many

“miseries of the land” such as “famine, and nakedness”

“danger of the savage people”

Great “sums of money” would be required

“precedents of ill success”

In favor: “dangers were great, but not desperate; the difficulties

were many, but not invincible”


“their condition was not ordinary; their ends were good and honorable; their calling lawful, and urgent; and therefore they might expect the blessing of God in their proceeding”

“as great miseries might possibly befall them in this place” if they stayed in Leyden

Bradstreet quotes a passage from the Biblical book of Ezra that the group’s pastor preached on before their departure (5). Considering only the quoted passage itself, why might the pastor may have chosen it for this occasion?

Ezra 8.21: “And there at the river, by Ahava, I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble ourselves before our God, and seek of Him a right way for us, and for our children, and for all our substance.”

Humilityseeking “a right way”

Summarize the five principles that, in his letter to the group (7-8), John Robinson says should govern the group’s conduct as they establish their new community. Again, one sentence for each should suffice.

Self-examination and “earnest repentence” for one’s own sins Get along with each other; don’t give offense or “easily take”

offense Don’t take “offense at God himself,” e.g., by “murmur[ing] at

His providence” Seek the common good over mere self-interest Choose good people for government and then give them “all

due honor and obedience”

At p. 9, Bradford describes the death of a of a lusty, able body” seaman. Why did “his fellows” view it as the “just hand of God upon him”? Why do you think Bradford calls it a “special work of God’s providence”? (You may need to look the meaning of the word “providence” as used here.)

he’d expressed the wish that the Pilgrims not survive the voyage, but he was the first to die—B suggests that other sailors took that as a message from GodProvidence:

“divine providence”— The foreknowing and protective care of God (or nature, etc.); divine direction, control, or guidance.or


Often as “special providence”—An act or instance of divine intervention; an event or circumstance which indicates divine dispensation.

Here B says that this was an instance of God working for their special protection by dealing with way sailor in this way

What were three of the challenges faced by the Pilgrims upon their arrival at Plymouth as described at p. 11 that contributed to their “sad condition”?

No friends, or towns, or inns to greet them; only the “barbarians”

Winter weather Wilderness—“wild beasts and wild men”—ahead of them

and vast ocean behind Ship captain wanted to be rid of them

At page 15, toward the end of chapter X, Bradford describes a Pilgrim group’s discovery of Plymouth, the place “fit for situation” that would soon become their permanent habitation. The group, Bradford says, had begun its search on December 6, “intending to circulate that deep bay of Cape Code.” Then, its members “marched into the land, and found divers cornfields, and little running brooks” on a Monday. Based on the evidence given in pages 13-15, what was the date (day and month) of that Monday?

Monday, Dec. 11

Bradford describes the events leading up to the arrival at Plymouth in some detail. He refers to the group, “ten of their principal men, and some seamen,” with the third-person “they” (“they heard a great and strange cry”). He doesn’t seem otherwise to suggest that he was among them. What are some possibilities about how Bradford could have known about these events?

From witnesses; he was there

Identify whom each of the underlined pronouns refers to:The cry of the Indians was dreadful, especially when [1] they saw [2] their men run out of the rendezvous toward the shallop, to recover their arms, the Indians wheeling about upon them. But some running out with coats of mail on, and cutlasses in their hands, [3] they soon got [4] their arms, and let fly amongst [5] them, and quickly stopped their violence.

You may want to check the context of this passage—see page 14.1. Indians2. English3. English4. English


5. Indians

At p. 21, in the first paragraph of Ch. XIX, what happens to the verb tense of Bradford’s narration in the sentence beginning “Having continued there some time…”?

“Captain Wollaston takes a great part of the servants, and transports them to Virginia”—shift to present tense; could convey a sense of heightened tension or urgency, or other emotion.

In the paragraph beginning “This Morton having thus taught them…” at p.22, what are the two problems that Bradford says Morton and his followers created among the colonists? How did the colonists finally deal with Morton?

Indians had guns; all the servants were leaving to join MortonPilgrims arrest him and ship him back to England

At pages 23-24, what does Bradford say led the “people of the plantation” to become “scattered all over the bay”? Why did Bradford view this situation as a “sad matter”?

Increased wealth resulted in larger land holdings and people started living farther apart; previously they’d lived “compactly” in the “town”“sad matter”: “the church must also be divided, and those that had lived so long together in Christian and comfortable fellowship must now part and suffer many divisions”“And this, I fear, will be the ruin of New England, at least of the churches of God there, and will provoke the Lord’s displeasure against them.”

What may have caused the “great sickness” that nearly wiped out the Indian group visited by the “three or four Dutchmen,” as reported by Bradford at page 25?

Disease brought by the “Dutchmen”

With whom were the Narragansetts allied in the war with the Pequots? Why had they rejected an alliance with the other side? (pp. 28-30)

Allied with English; “they considered, how much wrong they had received from the Pequots, and what an opportunity they now had by the help of the English to right themselves, revenge was so sweet unto them, as it prevailed above all the rest, so as they resolved to join with the English against them”


In the paragraph beginning “But it may be demanded” (page 31), Bradford describes various kinds of “wicked persons” who he saw as a corrupting influence. What do all these “wicked persons” have in common, from Bradford’s perspective?

They’re outsiders—“untoward servants” and various non-religious people following their “dissolute courses”“And thus, by one means or other, in twenty years’ time, it is a question whether the greater part be not grown the worser.”

At the end of the final paragraph of our reading (p. 32), Bradford compares “this poor church” to “an ancient mother”? What is the “poor church” that he’s referring to? In what ways does he say it resembles an “ancient mother”?

Pilgrims’ religious community“And thus was this poor church left, like an ancient mother, grown old and forsaken of her children, though not in their affections, yet in regard of their bodily presence and personal helpfulness. Her ancient members being most of them worn away by death, and these of later time being like children translated into other families, and she like a widow left only to trust in God. Thus she that had made many rich became herself poor.”

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Elements of poetry:Rhyme scheme—

o capital letters identify rhymes at the ends of lines (“end rhymes”)

example: “Prologue” stanza 5o “couplets” – series of paired rhymed lines; common feature of

Bradstreetexample: “The Author to Her Book”

Stanzas: Equal groupings of lines separated by white space (e.g., four-line stanzas, also called “quatrains”); often linked with rhyme scheme (e.g., six-line stanzas of “Prologue”)

Lines


a defining feature of poetry: lines don’t extend all the way to right edge of page (compare the look of prose on the page—flush right-hand margins)

length—traditionally determined by meter (patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables) in English-language poetry

e.g., ten-syllable line of iambic pentameter (five pairs of stressed/unstressed syllables in each line) (common in the Bradstreet poems)

Imagery— tangible, concrete things that can be perceived by the senses usually indicated with nouns

Metaphor—comparison stated as assertion of fact yet isn’t literally true.

Example from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet:

[JULIET appears above at a window]Romeo: But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

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Anne Bradstreet (1612 - 1672)

Well-educated in childhood, especially for a girl of her day. At age about 17, newly married, she traveled with Winthrop’s group that started Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630.

First American to publish a book of poetry: her collection was published (without her knowledge) as The Tenth Muse in England in 1650; second edition published 1678

Poems

Prologue1To sing of Wars, of Captains, and of Kings,Of Cities founded, Commonwealths begun,For my mean Pen are too superior things;Or how they all, or each their dates have run,Let Poets and Historians set these forth.My obscure lines shall not so dim their worth.

…


5I am obnoxious to each carping tongue AWho says my hand a needle better fits. BA Poet's Pen all scorn I should thus wrong, AFor such despite they cast on female wits. BIf what I do prove well, it won't advance, CThey'll say it's stol'n, or else it was by chance. C …

7Let Greeks be Greeks, and Women what they are.Men have precedency and still excel;It is but vain unjustly to wage war.Men can do best, and Women know it well.Preeminence in all and each is yours;Yet grant some small acknowledgement of ours.

“The Author to her Book”Thou ill-form'd offspring of my feeble brain,Who after birth did'st by my side remain,Till snatcht from thence by friends, less wise then trueWho thee abroad, expos'd to public view,

And for thy Mother she alas is poor,Which caus'd her thus to send thee out of door.

RQs

In “The Prologue,” who is the “they” referred to in lines 28 and 30? Context indicates she’s referring to male readers and critics who think that women can’t write poetry

Who or what is the “ill-formed offspring” to whom “The Author to Her Book” is addressed?

Her newly-published book of poems—see title of poem, lines 3-4

top18th Century—Enlightenment and Great Awakening

The EnlightenmentIntellectual movement of 18th-century Europe and America committed to the use of reason in philosophy, politics, art, and other areas of thought.


DeismThe product of [the Enlightenment] search for a natural—rational—religion was Deism … For the Deist a very few religious truths sufficed, and they were truths felt to be manifest to all rational beings: the existence of one God, often conceived of as architect or mechanician, the existence of a system of rewards and punishments administered by that God, and the obligation of men to virtue and piety.

Encyclopedia Britannica, “Enlightenment”

Many of the American “Founding Fathers” were Deists, e.g., Thomas Jefferson. Ben Franklin may be included as well, though he hedges somewhat on the issue in the Autobiography.

Deists would likely differ with the Puritans concerning the authoritativeness of the Bible; they looked to rational universe, not the Bible, as demonstration of God’s existence

The Great Awakening

Period of great religious fervor and revivalism, c.1730-c.1750. Jonathan Edwards was one of the key figures associated with it.

Emphasis was on the emotional experience of religion; compare Enlightenment emphasis on reason.

Some clergy criticize the religious practices of “revivalists” associated with the Great Awakening because they felt they were too emotional, lacking necessary rational understanding

http://library.eb.com/eb/article-9032680


topJonathan Edwards

Leading figure of the Great Awakening, c.1730-c.1750

“Personal Narrative”

Genre of “spiritual autobiography”

RQs

In paragraph 11, Edwards contrasts the “delights” that he “now felt in things of religion” with “those forementioned, that I had when I was a boy.”

a. What were the “forementioned” delights? (See also paragraph 1) "I experienced I know not what kind of delight in religion. My mind was much engaged in it, and had much self-righteous pleasure; and it was my delight to abound in religious duties. … My affections seemed to be lively and easily moved, and I seemed to be in my element, when engaged in religious duties.” (paragraph 1)

He seems to consider those boyhood delights as immature and superficial as compared to what he “now felt”:

“I am ready to think, many are deceived with such affections, and such a kind of delight, as I then had in religion [as a child], and mistake it for grace.” (paragraph 1)

“Those former delights, never reached the heart; and did not arise from any sight of the divine excellency of the things of God; or any taste of the soul-satisfying, and life-giving good, there is in them.” (paragraph 11)

b. How did the boyhood delights differ from the “delights” he “now felt”?

The delights now “were of a more inward, pure, soul-animating and refreshing nature.” The “former delights,” on the other hand, “never reached the heart; and did not arise from any sight of the divine excellency of the things of God; or any taste of the soul-satisfying, and life-giving


good, there is in them.”

Also: “I have oftentimes since that first conviction, had quite another kind of sense of God's sovereignty, than I had then. I have often since, not only had a conviction, but a delightful conviction. The doctrine of God's sovereignty has very often appeared, an exceeding pleasant, bright and sweet doctrine to me……” (paragraph 6)

Concerning Edwards’s statement that “prayer seemed to be natural to me; as the breath, by which the inward burnings of my heart had vent” (end of paragraph 10):

What is prayer compared to here? “breath”

What do you think are his heart’s “inward burnings”? (hint: look for a similar phrase in paragraph 13)

“inward ardor of my soul” was a “flame”“It appeared to me a great clog and hindrance and burden to me, that what I felt within, I could not express to God, and give vent to, as I desired. The inward ardor of my soul, seemed to be hindered and pent up, and could not freely flame out as it would. I used often to think, how in heaven, this sweet principle should freely and fully vent and express itself.” (13)

What gives “vent” to those burnings? (again, see also paragraph 13)

Prayer/breath; but cf. paragraph 13—“what I felt within, I could not express to God, and give vent to, as I desired”; only in heaven could prayer sufficiently give “vent”?

List four adjectives or nouns (no verbs) that Edwards uses to describe “holiness” in paragraph 14.

“… I do certainly know that I love holiness, such as the gospel prescribes. It appeared to me, there was nothing in it but what was ravishingly lovely. It appeared to me, to be the highest beauty and amiableness, above all other beauties: that it was a divine beauty; far purer than anything here upon earth; and that everything else, was like mire, filth and defilement, in comparison of it.”

[“lovely,” “beauty”—nonrational perceptions]

As you know, we perceive the physical world by means of our senses: tasting, touching, hearing, seeing, and smelling. How many of these


senses are included in the description of “the soul of a true Christian”” in paragraph 15? List and give an example for each (a few words will do).

The soul of a true Christian…appeared like such a little white flower, as we see in the spring of the year; low and humble on the ground, opening its bosom, to receive the pleasant beams of the sun's glory; rejoicing as it were, in a calm rapture; diffusing around a sweet fragrancy; standing peacefully and lovingly, in the midst of other flowers round about; all in like manner opening their bosoms, to drink in the light of the sun.

[only “hearing” isn’t here]

At paragraph 26 Edwards quotes from the Biblical Psalm 130, which, he says, “my soul with sweetness made its own language.”

“… I lay sick for about a quarter of a year. And in this sickness, God was pleased to visit me again with the sweet influences of his spirit. My mind was greatly engaged there on divine, pleasant contemplations, and longings of soul. I observed that those who watched with me, would often be looking out for the morning, and seemed to wish for it. Which brought to my mind those words of the Psalmist, which my soul with sweetness made its own language, ‘My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning’ [Psalms 130:6].”

What does “its” refer to in the quoted passage?“my soul”

What is the connection between the words of the Psalm and the occurrences that “brought them to his mind”?

Like those referred to in the Psalm, the people watching over Edwards in his illness were “looking out for the morning”

In paragraph 1, describing his religious zeal as a boy, Edwards describes places where he would go to pray. How are those places similar to places where he experiences intense spiritual awareness later in life?

Paragraph 1I, with some of my schoolmates joined together, and built a booth in a swamp, in a very secret and retired place, for a place of prayer. And besides, I had particular secret places of my own in the woods, where I used to retire by myself...

Paragraph 8I walked abroad alone, in a solitary place in my father's pasture, for contemplation.


Paragraph 9God's excellency, his wisdom, his purity and love, seemed to appear in everything; in the sun, moon and stars; in the clouds, and blue sky; in the grass, flowers, trees; in the water, and all nature

Paragraph 10And used to spend abundance of my time, in walking alone in the woods, and solitary places, for meditation, soliloquy and prayer, and converse with God.

Paragraph 21I very frequently used to retire into a solitary place, on the banks of Hudson's River, at some distance from the city, f or contemplation on divine things

Paragraph 25having one special season of uncommon sweetness: particularly once at Bolton, in a journey from Boston, walking out alone in the fields.

Paragraph 36having lit from my horse in a retired place, as my manner commonly has been, to walk for divine contemplation and prayer; I had a view, that for me was extraordinary, of the glory of the Son of God


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vocab

“the most were fain to fly and leave their houses and habitations”Glad under the circumstances; glad or content to take a certain course in default of opportunity for anything better

they saw their posterity would be in danger to degenerate and be corrupted”

The descendants collectively of any person

“ordinance of the Lord”That which is ordained or decreed by God, a god, or fate; a dispensation, decree, or appointment of God, providence, or destiny.

“If it be said they had a ship to succor them, it is true […]”Verb: To help, assist, aid

“it was very dark, and rained sore”So as to cause suffering, hardship, or great straits; to a painful or distressing degree; severely, grievously, oppressively.

“covenant and combine ourselves”Verb: To enter into a covenant or formal agreement; to agree formally or solemnly; to contract.

“mean” as in “slighted by the meanest servants” (21)Inferior in rank or quality; Of low social status (adj)

“For my mean pen are too superior things”AdjectiveInferior in ability, learning, perception, etc.Poor in quality or condition; of little value; inferior

“most meet and convenient for the general good”Suitable, fit, proper for some purpose or occasion

Yet still thou run'st more hobbling than is meetSuitable, fit, proper for some purpose or occasionof an action: fitting, becoming, proper.


But with death's parting blow is sure to meetVerbTo encounter, experience (a particular fortune or destiny, a phenomenon, event, etc.); to receive (reward, punishment, or treatment of a certain kind); (now) esp. to suffer (one's death).

“people of the plantation” (23) The settling of people, usually in a conquered or dominated country; esp. the planting or establishing of a colony; colonization.A settlement in a conquered or dominated country; a colony.

“those that had thus got footing there rent themselves away” (24)Past tense of “rend”Rend: 1.a. To tear, pull, or rip something away from its proper place or current position; to remove by force.

“a whole side will flay off at once” (26)To strip or peel off (the skin).

“some of them going afterwards to the pinnace” (27)A small light vessel, usually having two schooner-rigged (originally square-rigged) masts, often in attendance on a larger vessel and used as a tender or scout, to carry messages, etc.

“take occasion to subjugate them” (28)to vanquish, subdue.

“after their refreshing and repair together” (29)To return to or from a specified place or person; to come back again.

“many untoward servants”Of persons (or animals), their disposition, etc.: Difficult to manage, restrain, or control; intractable, unruly, perverse.

“I had a variety of concerns and exercises about my soul from my childhood” (398)

a state of distress or anxiety, a painful mental struggle.

“God would not suffer me to go on with any quietness” (399)To allow (a thing) to be done, exist, or take place; to allow to go on without interference or objection, put up with, tolerate.

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