Entry A. William Bradford

Thesis:
In an excerpt from William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation, although the Puritans experience hardship in their voyage to America, in their initial arrival and in their dealings with the Indians, they still maintain their reverance to God and to one another (their initial reason for fleeing England).
Passage:
And here is to be noted a special provedance of God, and a great mercy to this poor people, that here they got them seed to plant them corn the next year, or else they might have starved, for they had none nor any likelihood to any till the season had been past, as the sequel did manifest. Neaither is it likely they had had this, if the first voyage had not been made, for the ground was now all covered with snow and hard frozen; but the lord is never wanting unto His in their greatest needs; let his holy name have all the praise.


http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/Departments/English/coke/bradford.htm


Response:
What impressed me about this passage was that the Pilgrams learned from the Indians how to plant corn.  They praised God for the corn and considered what would have happened if the first voyage had not happened.


Esstential Question:
America is an uncharted wilderness that only the people desperate for freedom or money are willing to brave.


Political Cartoon:

Immigration can be considered as an invasion of our state because there are so many immagrants coming into our country when we only have so much space.  In the political cartoon there are immigrants jumping our boarder and the sign saying welcom to Texas has Texas crossed out and changed to Aztlan.  This shows that Taxas has been taken over my mexicains.   

Anne Bradstreet

Upon the Burning of our house
By: Anne Bradstreet

In silent night when rest I took,


For sorrow near I did not look,

I waken'd was with thund'ring noise

And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.

That fearful sound of "fire" and "fire,"

Let no man know is my Desire.

I starting up, the light did spy,

And to my God my heart did cry

To straighten me in my Distress

And not to leave me succourless.

Then coming out, behold a space

The flame consume my dwelling place.

And when I could no longer look,

I blest his grace that gave and took,

That laid my goods now in the dust.

Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just.

It was his own; it was not mine.

Far be it that I should repine,

He might of all justly bereft

But yet sufficient for us left.

When by the Ruins oft I past

My sorrowing eyes aside did cast

And here and there the places spy

Where oft I sate and long did lie.

Here stood that Trunk, and there that chest,

There lay that store I counted best,

My pleasant things in ashes lie

And them behold no more shall I.

Under the roof no guest shall sit,

Nor at thy Table eat a bit.

No pleasant talk shall 'ere be told

Nor things recounted done of old.

No Candle 'ere shall shine in Thee,

Nor bridegroom's voice ere heard shall bee.

In silence ever shalt thou lie.

Adieu, Adieu, All's Vanity.

Then straight I 'gin my heart to chide:

And did thy wealth on earth abide,

Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust,

The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?

Raise up thy thoughts above the sky

That dunghill mists away may fly.

Thou hast a house on high erect

Fram'd by that mighty Architect,

With glory richly furnished

Stands permanent, though this be fled.

It's purchased and paid for too

By him who hath enough to do.

A price so vast as is unknown,

Yet by his gift is made thine own.

There's wealth enough; I need no more.

Farewell, my pelf; farewell, my store.

The world no longer let me love;

My hope and Treasure lies above.



I have chosen this poem because Anne Bradstreet tells of how she doesnt want her house to burn down then she goes to how she accepts it but does not like it at all and how she misses her material possessions then finnaly she goes to how it was men to happen because God ment it to.


Political Cartoon:

It may seem unnatural at first but women are more then capable of having a job. In this political cartoon there is a woman leaving to go to vote. This shows that women are just as capable as men when it comes to voting. Anne Bradstreet was most likely an inspiration for many women when her poems were published because she wasn’t afraid to write about how she felt. Also there is a man holding two crying babies looking worried. This shows that the work at home is never counted as a real job but it can be harder then some jobs. Anne Bradstreet can still be considered the pride of women even today because of how she was able to take care of her children and write her poems. If men can work then why can’t women even while taking care of the home many women can take on other responsibilities quite easily.

Edward Taylor

Huswifery
by Edward Taylor
Make me, O Lord, thy Spinning Wheele compleat;
Thy Holy Worde my Distaff make for mee.
Make mine Affections thy Swift Flyers neate,
And make my Soule thy holy Spoole to bee.
My Conversation make to be thy Reele,
And reele the yarn thereon spun of thy Wheele.


Make me thy Loome then, knit therein this Twine:
And make thy Holy Spirit, Lord, winde quills:
Then weave the Web thyselfe. The yarn is fine.
Thine Ordinances make my Fulling Mills.
Then dy the same in Heavenly Colours Choice,
All pinkt with Varnish't Flowers of Paradise.


Then cloath therewith mine Understanding, Will,
Affections, Judgment, Conscience, Memory;
My Words and Actions, that their shine may fill
My wayes with glory and thee glorify.
Then mine apparell shall display before yee
That I am Cloathd in Holy robes for glory.

Thesis Statement:
Edward Taylor uses conceit, diction, and rhyme in "Huswifery" to explain how the speaker's determination to be recieved in heaven by God is very much like the determination needed to take care of the home.

reflection:
I really liked this poem because it shows the work put into being worthy of God is a lot of work just like the work put into changing raw wool into robes.  What impressed me was that the speaker was willing to give himself over to God so easily because even in my church I havent seen any one do it so completly.

Johnathan Edwards

The Slave Narrative

America only became what it is today by using others to gain the upper hand. There is a white American child with a black child chained up. This shows how whites have taken control over other countries and ethnicities. The white American child is telling the black that it is for his own good while the black is yelling “get off”. This shows that America tells others that what they are doing is for their own good when really it just hurts them. Finally the white American child is seen sitting on a ledge, after the black got out of his chains, saying that he is sorry and that he now knows better. This is the same as when after the slave revolt in America and the slaves were finally set free, the whites tried to apologize and claim they did not know any better. Lastly the black child is asking if the white child will help him up on to the ledge but the white child says no because he claims he got up there by himself. Revealing how people can take advantage of others and then refuse to help them when they had done all the work. America is willing to use others to gain things they want but is unwilling to help the ones they used.

Essential Question:

(What is America)

America is a place unkown to many countries and feared by some.  To the ones living there it is a wild and wonderful new place to live with the exploration of the west and learning new ways to survive.