Puritanism/Neoclassicism

pushed away the thought that man was a worthless creature with no will of his own, but that man was actually a rational being capable of making his own decisions and better life for himself

looked toward the greeks and romans as classic examples of taste and conduct

art, literature, architecture or other areas that have withstood the test of time

Neoclassicist; believed that government is a contrast between the people and their rulers

Neoclassicist; believed that a government should derive its consent from the people of the country it governs

attention directed to worldly matters and affairs

stressed LOGIC and REASONING

looked to ancient Greeks for patterns

appreciated men of courtly manners (white wigs, silk shirts, long socks, etc.

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faith in the reality of the world as revealed throughout the senses (if you can see/ touch/taste it its real);distrust of the mystical of mysterious (religion)

confident of attainment of progress though education and humanitarianism (governing oneself)

prime values: order, justice, moderation, and wisdom

the epitome of the Enlightened thinker

most common type of literature:political pamphlets, speeches, travel writing, journals and autobiography

an 18th century philosophy practiced by many founders of the United States that was based on logic.

Belief that God created the world and its natural laws, but takes no other part in it.

in contrast to puritanism, these people believed in humanity’s innate goodness and perfectibility

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”; brought emotional outburst from the crowd because of the graphic images it conveyed

child prodigy, entered Yale at 13

saw nature as a representation of a spiritual truth

a leading preacher during the Great Awakening

used very graphic sermons and caused his crowd emotional outburst; His goal was for their reaction to be based on religious feelings and not just hysteria

a simple and clear style of writing that began as a revolt against ornate style that was particularly promoted by the Puritans.

Consist of common, everyday vocabulary, simple sentence structure, clear and vivid images, and direct and precise statements

Jonathan Edwards

a highly elaborate form of writing that was popular in England and America in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Consists of difficult vocabulary, intricate sentence structure, complex figures of speech, and obscure allusions

“There is nothing between you and Hell; it is only the power and the mere pleasure of God that holds you up. but the air.”

valued for its usefulness in helping an individual ‘live and die well’

NOT used for art’s sake, religious purposes only

finds this world so radically imperfect as not to be worth saving or grieving or even memorializing

placed little value on the ‘worlds body’

looked for signs of God’s will and man’s destiny

valued poetry for what it could do to promote sanctity, but he distrusted it for what it might do to reconcile us to the things of the world (how to look to heaven, not to make us feel good)

first american poet; very educated with an extensive vocabulary; used biblical allusions frequently

First book written by a woman to be published in America (by Anne Bradstreet)

shows Anne’s constant struggles in life including difficulties in adapting to the harsh conditions of the New World and constant illness

work shows unconditional faith and love for her children and husband (husband had political job so he had to leave her for long periods at a time)

Anne Bradstreet

Spent much time teaching and reading to her own children; writings testify her indifference to material wealth, her humility and her spirituality; uses simple, plain style

Emigrated to Holland to avoid religious persecution in England; providential viewpoint

Whatever happens in history happens because God wants it to happen

“Of Plymouth Plantation”

William Bradford

“Husewifery”

only known American poet who wrote in metaphysical style

directly compares weaving to God’s salvation through divine grace

Edward Taylor

epitome of the perfect southern gentlemen

wrote about his daily schedule and some of his most private thoughts and actions

most entries focus especially on his relationship with his wife, his treatment of servants, his daily diet, his description of medical practices and his observation of nature

“The History of the Dividing Line”

written as a personal journal, an account of a surveying expedition in order to draw the boundary line between Virginia and North Carolina

a record of day-to-day experiences of the writer, usually meant to remain private (typically no more than one page a day)

a daily record of a writer’s experience that focuses on a wider range of subjects rather than simple daily activities like a diary (typically written about anything that comes to mind)

short for ”web log”; essentially a journal or diary kept over the World Wide Web