Entry 4: Puritan Poetry

Carefully re-read Anne Bradstreet's poem "Here follows some verses upon the burning of our house, July 10th, 1666". Think about the major Puritan beliefs as you re-read this poem. What philosophical beliefs about God and the purpose of human life are reflected in Bradstreet's poem? Compare and contrast these beliefs with those of the Deists and rationalists. How would a poem about a similar topic differ if written from one of those perspectives? What about your beliefs? What would your poem be like if something like this happened to you?

•  From my previous knowledge about the Puritans, and from what I have read about them, the Puritans are a group of extremely religious people who have come to the New World to see their religious freedom. To them, God's will is everything and they have to respect it. And so, they believe that they do not have the right to be "special", and thus their tendency to be plain, and even wear plain clothes. 
• In Anne's poem, we can see very clearly that she is a faithful Puritan. She believes, as stated above, that it is God's will when all of her belongings were "taken" away from her. She chides herself for even doubting God's will, and says that she has to accept what happens. To her, the purpose of her life would be to continue to live on piously.
• If we compared the Puritans with the rationalists, we can say that we are comparing reason and blinded beliefs. If a rationalist were to write a poem about a similar topic, they may be inclined to find the real, scientific reasons for the fire (chemically, and physically). 
• I am more of a rationalist. If I were to write a poem about a similar topic, I would be angry, frustrated, and would definitely keep on complaining on how unlucky I am.