Puritanism, a version of Calvinism, addresses the sinfulness of man and claims that God has predetermined those who will be saved and those who won’t; despite their sins. In the poem “Here Follow Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666,” Anne Bradstreet recounts a tragic accident that occurred and how she used it to glorify God. Jonathan Edwards conducted sermon titled, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” in Connecticut, 1741. In this text he goes in depth into the sinful nature of man, and a just and angry God who doesn’t hesitate. Both passages address the life Puritans should live. The structure in these two texts also play important roles in representing Puritanism in its truest form. Anne Bradstreet’s purpose was to use her own personal tragedy to grow closer to God; as well as share the idea with the world that God is good all of the time, despite all possible circumstances one may deal with in life. This is evident in the passage when she states. “And to my God my heart did cry / To strengthen me in my distress / And not to leave me …show more content…
“So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hands of God, over the pit of hell,” (Edwards 79) Edwards’ motive in his sermon is to scare the less devoted Puritans into being “born again” and dedicating their life to the Father. “The use of this awful subject may be for awakening unconnected persons in this congregation.” (Edwards 80) Edwards believes man to all be self-righteous, unfaithful, and dubiously sinful creatures in desperate need of a savior. The only way that they can be spared being dropped into the pits of hell and graciously given eternal life is to repent of their transgressions and bow their knees to God in
Rhetorical Analysis of Jonathan edwards’s Sinners in the hand of an angry god: jeremiad Jonathan edwards, is known as one of the most important religious figures of the great awakening, edwards became known for his zealous sermon “sinners at the hand of an angry god”. During his sermon he implies that if his congregation does not repent to christ they are in “danger of great wrath and infinite misery”. Throughout this sermon edwards uses literary devices such as strong diction, powerful syntax and juxtaposition to save his congregation from eternal damnation. Throughout Edwards’s sermon the use of turgid diction is exceedingly prevalent.
Jonathan Edwards wrote the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” with the purpose of persuading people to seek salvation by producing horror in the possibility of going to hell when he should have tried to inspire his congregation to try and get to heaven instead. He transmitted his message in an intense manner which consequently caused terror on the people that attended the church in which he preached. His pathos appeal on the sermon intended people to fear what awaits in hell if they are not born again. The author emphasized in the descriptions of the torments of hell and the punishments that the people who go there have to go through. He could have approached this topic by referring to the good things that are in heaven and the blessings that will come to your life once you accept God as your savior.
If you were to ask someone why is it that they stop at a red light, they’re response would most likely be “I don’t want to break the law and go to jail.” The reality is that we must obey the law not because of the fear of going to jail, but to create order in preventing a harmful outcome. Our government instills fear in our society to follow the law because that is the most effective way to dominate our behavior. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry G-d”, delivered by Jonathan Edwards, a strict Puritan priest, is remembered as the most famous sermon ever preached on American soil. Today it appears in almost every anthology American Literature and stands alone as the only sermon included.
The Puritan faith clearly has God as their main focus. But both authors express their view of God in distinct ways. Bradstreet presents a calming space where she believes God and religion are guiding her through life, marriage, troubles, and that she will be rewarded for accepting guidance. For example, in My Dear and Loving Husband
It is explained that God is the only one who is able to save people from going to Hell. Edwards wants people to imagine how evil and distressed life would be without Gods love and mercy. He explains that to not burn in Hell people need to ask for forgiveness from God, experience Gods mercy, and continuously practice the Lords word. Edwards really lets the message of “Gods wrath” sink into our minds to show how mighty, powerful, and capable the Lord is. The Lord gives us many opportunities to rely on Him and when we need his love and mercy the most.
Anne Bradstreet is one of the most controversial poets of her time. Choosing her lover and materialistic items over religion. This is best shown in her works "To my dear loving husband" and "Upon the burning of our house" Which solely focuses on her Ironic lover as well as her home. In these poems she talks about how nothing can replace the happiness she feel with the main topic of each poem. While very similar in black and white.
One of his well-known sermon is “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” preached at the meeting house in the village of Enfield, Connecticut, on Sunday, July 8, 1741, at the height of the great awakening. In this sermon, Edwards focused on the consequences of leading a sinful life, the power of God and repenting of ones sins, in order to be saved from hell. The purpose behind this piece of writing was not to terrorize or dismay the hearers, but to make them repent and believe in God again. This piece was aimed at those who lacked belief in God as well as churches.
Puritans are a people with a very strong belief in both God and the power of God. When people see power, they interpret it in different ways. Some know of power through anger and impulse, while others see power through the goodness the powerful one shows. Although Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards are both puritan poets, their writings convey mainly different, though sometimes similar, views on God because they have different perceptions of His will and the use of His power. Anne Bradstreet listens to and accepts anything that God wishes, and that is shown through her poem Upon the Burning of my House.
Jonathan Edwards’s sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” and Anne Bradstreet’s “Upon the Burning of Our House” seem at first glance quite similar to one another regarding context, however, after taking a closer look, it becomes apparent that there are some substantial differences. These differences cannot be understood without the knowledge of cultural context concerning the Puritan belief system and their lifestyle. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” was written with the sole purpose of scaring and intimidating the people that purtinans believed to be sinners. Edwards’s work contributed to a movement called “The Great Awakening”. It’s objective was to make the so-called ‘sinners’ aware of their wrongdoings and compel them to repent.
Rhetorical Analysis "Fear is an instructor of great sagacity and the herald of all resolutions. "- Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” was a sermon written and delivered by American reverend Jonathan Edwards in 1741, and was an outstanding example of the potentially dominant convincing powers of the use of Rhetoric. The sermon, even when read silently, is effective in projecting a specific interpretation of the wrathful nature of God and the sinful nature of man.
It is 1741. The Enlightenment is spreading worldwide. The puritan people are leaving God. Johnathan Edwards gives a sermon on July 8th , 1741, trying to convince his fellow Puritan people to come back to God. He is going to try and accomplish this by giving his famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God '.
"The God that holds you over the pit of Hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you..." God's hate is compared for how one might hate a spider, and as a spider is disposed of harshly, so is a sinners. In a spider's place in a human household, one is justified in being afraid, Fear is the most prevalent appeal throughout the sermon. "O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in!" Edwards fear to be a motivator in converting to Puritanism.
Edwards wants us to know that when we don’t listen to God and turned away from and when we follow the Satan’s ways, we will go to Hell. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Johnathan Edwards, wants us to imagine Hell and what the consequences are. Edwards wants us to know that men who are sinners are more likely to go to Hell, and to consider the danger that we are
Bradstreet uses an AABBCC rhyme scheme which makes the poem seem to be written in a calm and relaxed state. It is also important to notice that she uses end rhyme which makes it seem as if she was trying to have some control over her life, probably because she lost it due to the fire. The style of the text is really simple because Anne Bradstreet uses what is known as “Puritan Plain Style” makes clear and direct statements and meditate on faith and God with simple sentences and words. It usually contains few elaborate figures of speech.
The value of earthly treasures versus eternal treasures is a key theme in Anne Bradstreet’s “Upon the Burning of Our House.” Throughout the poem, Bradstreet uses the following three examples to discover her feelings about losing her earthly treasures in the house fire and moving toward eternal treasures: her earthly possessions, her position in society, and her ultimate choice to focus on eternity. Anne Bradstreet is a woman who was the first English colonial poet. while she resided in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. She wrote this poem around July of 1666 to describe the event of her home burning to the ground.