Thomas Hariot “A Brief and True Report of a New - Found Land of Virginia” 1588
Early American Writers and Poets • South, Jamestown, Virginia: • Captain John Smith - first American writer, 8 works • Contributions: his descriptions of America were filled with themes, myths, images, scenes, characters and events that were a foundation for the nation’s literature. He lured the Pilgrims into fleeing here and creating a New land. • North, New England, Puritan Writers • William Bradford: first governor of Plymouth, The History of Plymouth Plantation, simplicity, earnestness, direct reporting, readable, moving. • Two Poets: • Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor
Captain John Smith
1607 Jamestown
Puritans n n n One division of English Protestants. They regarded the reformation of the church under Elizabeth as incomplete, and called for further purification from what they considered to be unscriptural and corrupt forms and ceremonies retained from the unreformed church. The 17 th century American Puritans included two parts: Separatists and Massachusetts Bay Group Their Religious Doctrines: original sin, total depravity, predestination and limited atonement through a special infusion of grace from God.
Puritanism n n n A religious and political movement. Through it, one sees emerging the right of the individual to political and religious independence. Their attitudes toward work: work itself is a good in addition to what it achieves, that time saved by efficiency or good fortune should be spent in doing further work. They regarded themselves as chosen people of God. They embraced hardships, industry and frugality. They favored a disciplined, hard, somber, ascetic and harsh life. They opposed arts and pleasure. They suspect joy and laughter as symptoms of sin.
n n Puritanism’s influence on American literature Purpose: pragmatic Contents: practical matter-of-fact accounts of life in the new world; highly theoretical discussions of religious questions. Form: diary, autobiography, sermon, letter Style: tight and logic structure, precise and compact expression, avoidance of rhetorical decoration, adoption of homely imagery, simplicity of diction.
William Bradford (1590 -1657) “The History of Plimmoth Plantation”(1651)
Anne Bradstreet 1612 -1672
Bradstreet wrote epitaphs for both her mother and father which not only show her love for them but shows them as models of male and female behavior in the Puritan culture. An Epitaph on my dear and ever honoured mother, Mrs. Dorothy Dudley, Who deceased December 27, 1643, and of her age, 61 Here lies/ A worthy matron of unspotted life, / A loving mother and obedient wife, / A friendly neighbor, pitiful to poor, / Whom oft she fed, and clothed with her store; / To servants wisely aweful, but yet kind, / And as they did, so they reward did find: / A true instructor of her family, / The which she ordered with dexterity, / The public meetings ever did frequent, / And in her closest constant hours she spent; / Religious in all her words and ways, / Preparing still for death, till end of days: / Of all her children, children lived to see, / Then dying, left a blessed memory.
Compare this with the epitaph she wrote for her father: Within this tomb a patriot lies/ That was both pious, just and wise, / To truth a shield, to right a wall, / To sectaries a whip and maul, / A magazine of history, / A prizer of good company/ In manners pleasant and severe/ The good him loved, the bad did fear, / And when his time with years was spent/ In some rejoiced, more did lament. / 1653, age 77
To My Dear and Loving Husband If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were loved by wife, then surely thee; If ever wife was happy in a man, Compare with me, ye women, if you can. I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold Or all the riches that the East doth hold. My love is such that rivers cannot quench, Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense. Thy love is such I can no way repay, The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray. Then while we live, in love let’s so persevere That when we live no more, we may live ever.
Две наших жизни прожиты в одной, Бывал ли кто как ты любим женой? Найдётся ли счастливее жена? Не ровня мне средь женщин ни одна. Я не хочу от жизни гор златых – Твоей любовью я богаче их. Моя любовь полнее полных рек: Мне за неё твоя дана навек. И я в долгу за эту благодать, Молю творца стократ тебе воздать. Ещё мы живы – так давай любить! В любви и смерть не страшно пережить. Г. Русанов (1678)
The Literature in the Southern and Middle Colonies.
“The first American literature was neither American nor really literature”. Comment.
