Anne Bradstreet's 'Upon A Fit Of Sickness'

It can be said that American Literature has been profoundly influenced by specific era’s and their philosophies; some including Puritanism, Deism, Existentialism, etc. All of the above - mentioned, as well as others, impact American Literature with its new ideas culturally, socially, and politically. Ranging from poems to short stories, each of these systems of beliefs contributed from their authors, creating ideas that stayed with the American people. Puritanism brought forth an entire era of American literature. Their ideas of plainness and equality transcended directly into Romanticism. Similarly, their moral character shaped America into what it is today. In her poem, Anne Bradstreet discusses how gravely ill she feels and how ready she is for death. To put into context, she specifies how she feels as if her life is over, and at only age 20. In her poem, “Upon a Fit of Sickness”, Anne Bradstreet writes: “All men must die, & so must I: this cannot be revoked”, which directly states that every man in this
Similar to Puritanism, they both believe that God is the maker of the Universe and he is all powerful. In his book, “The Crisis”, Thomas Paine argues how the soldiers are essentially losing their spirit in the war because times were tough. To clarify, "These are the times that test men's souls"illustrates how the American Revolution soldiers were losing their courage and were not ready to die for their country. Paine portrays them as, “summer soldiers”, soldiers who favor a short-lived, convenient war, with no personal discomfort. He goes along to say that they don’t have the heart or valor in order to attain their independence they had been fighting for in the first place. Deism had based itself upon ration and intellect, however the masses were pondering whether or not it solved the problems of individuals and nations. In turn, this is where Romanticism plays out during the 18th