Puritan Poetry
Poetry:
Puritan Poetry was exclusively focused around the devotion to God, and that all his acts were a mark of his love or wrath. This is just like the literature, yet it follows a generally poetic structure (Wiki). By a poetic structure, they used stricter form than later years, with more usage of rhyme schemes, stricter stanzas. Poems were often written in response to life events, like when Anne Bradstreet's husband went to England, she decided to write a poem wishing for his safe return, and hoping that the Lord would keep her safe. Another example was the poem that she wrote after fainting, asking the Lord for salvation, as fainting was seen as an evil thing.
Worthy art Thou, O Lord, of praise,
But ah! It's not in me.
My sinking heart I pray Thee raise
So shall I give it Thee.
My life as spider's webb's cut off,
Thus fainting have I said,
And living man no more shall see
But be in silence laid.
My feeble spirit Thou didst revive,
My doubting Thou didst chide,
And though as dead mad'st me alive,
I here a while might 'bide.
Why should I live but to Thy praise?
My life is hid with Thee.
O Lord, no longer be my days
Than I may fruitful be.
Puritan Poetry was exclusively focused around the devotion to God, and that all his acts were a mark of his love or wrath. This is just like the literature, yet it follows a generally poetic structure (Wiki). By a poetic structure, they used stricter form than later years, with more usage of rhyme schemes, stricter stanzas. Poems were often written in response to life events, like when Anne Bradstreet's husband went to England, she decided to write a poem wishing for his safe return, and hoping that the Lord would keep her safe. Another example was the poem that she wrote after fainting, asking the Lord for salvation, as fainting was seen as an evil thing.
Worthy art Thou, O Lord, of praise,
But ah! It's not in me.
My sinking heart I pray Thee raise
So shall I give it Thee.
My life as spider's webb's cut off,
Thus fainting have I said,
And living man no more shall see
But be in silence laid.
My feeble spirit Thou didst revive,
My doubting Thou didst chide,
And though as dead mad'st me alive,
I here a while might 'bide.
Why should I live but to Thy praise?
My life is hid with Thee.
O Lord, no longer be my days
Than I may fruitful be.