Plain Style and Puritanism in the Poetry of Anne Bradstreet
As the English Reformation began shifting the mindset and beliefs of the Catholic church in the 15th and 16th centuries, a group of staunch Protestants surfaced. Because these Protestants believed the Reformation had neglected to completely reform the doctrines and structure of the Catholic church, they began working on "purifying" the church from within. This group of protestants became known as the Puritans. Eventually, the Anglican church pushed the Puritans out of England and forced them to emigrate to America. Though they sacrificed almost all of their earthly possessions to come to America and start new colonies, the Puritans fiercely held to their beliefs. The most obvious manifestation …show more content…
Numerous examples of the Plain Style are evident throughout the literature produced during the 15th century from authors such as Edward Taylor, William Bradford and Anne Bradstreet. However, Anne Bradstreet breaks the typical Puritan mold by her use of figurative language in her poem “Verses upon the Burning of our House” which defies Puritan plain style while still displaying Puritan doctrine and belief. Strong, figurative language is perhaps the most obvious way Bradstreet defies Plain Style writing in “Verses Upon the Burning of Our House.” An example of this is seen in line 6 of the poem where Bradstreet uses litotes when she says “Let no man know is my desire” (122). Litotes occurs when the author uses an understatement or double negatives to communicate a point, but since it is a literary device it goes against the nature of Plain Style. In lines 29-30 Bradstreet uses personification when she speaks to her house directly, “Under thy roof no guest shall sit/ Nor at thy Table eat a bit” (122). Yet another way Bradstreet writes outside of Plain Style is shown in the emotional language she uses. In lines three and four she describes the fire as “thund’ring noise” and her family’s voices as “piteous shrieks.” This kind of language carries strong
As the English Reformation began shifting the mindset and beliefs of the Catholic church in the 15th and 16th centuries, a group of staunch Protestants surfaced. Because these Protestants believed the Reformation had neglected to completely reform the doctrines and structure of the Catholic church, they began working on "purifying" the church from within. This group of protestants became known as the Puritans. Eventually, the Anglican church pushed the Puritans out of England and forced them to emigrate to America. Though they sacrificed almost all of their earthly possessions to come to America and start new colonies, the Puritans fiercely held to their beliefs. The most obvious manifestation …show more content…
Numerous examples of the Plain Style are evident throughout the literature produced during the 15th century from authors such as Edward Taylor, William Bradford and Anne Bradstreet. However, Anne Bradstreet breaks the typical Puritan mold by her use of figurative language in her poem “Verses upon the Burning of our House” which defies Puritan plain style while still displaying Puritan doctrine and belief. Strong, figurative language is perhaps the most obvious way Bradstreet defies Plain Style writing in “Verses Upon the Burning of Our House.” An example of this is seen in line 6 of the poem where Bradstreet uses litotes when she says “Let no man know is my desire” (122). Litotes occurs when the author uses an understatement or double negatives to communicate a point, but since it is a literary device it goes against the nature of Plain Style. In lines 29-30 Bradstreet uses personification when she speaks to her house directly, “Under thy roof no guest shall sit/ Nor at thy Table eat a bit” (122). Yet another way Bradstreet writes outside of Plain Style is shown in the emotional language she uses. In lines three and four she describes the fire as “thund’ring noise” and her family’s voices as “piteous shrieks.” This kind of language carries strong