Anne Bradstreet: Poems Summary and Analysis of "The Flesh and the Spirit" Summary: The poet describes walking by the secret place on the banks of the Lacrim and overhearing a conversation between two sisters; one called "Flesh" and the other named "Spirit." Flesh asks her sister why she prefers to survive on meditation alone‚ and how quiet contemplation can be satisfying. She wonders if her sister ever dreams of anything beyond the moon and asks if she is "fancy-sick." Flesh wants to try to show
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Journal 1: Phillis Wheatley First of all‚ I think it is important to note that the two poems discussed in this journal are either addressed to or written concerning white‚ prominent‚ men who have had some hand in dealing with slavery in America. Although I don’t know the “William” she is referring to in the first poem‚ it seems‚ through her poem and his title‚ that he had a great deal of power and the ability to make some political change. Washington‚ on the other hand‚ is more of an obvious example
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Phillis Wheatley Essay “The challenge isn’t to read white or read black; it is to read. If Phillis Wheatley stood for anything‚ it was the creed that culture was‚ could be‚ the equal possession of all humanity.” In this quote Henry Gates explains that people criticizing the work of Wheatley are missing the whole point of her work. The bias critics only see a black slave who should not be writing the way she is writing. Her critics overlook the beauty and the amount that her poems inspire
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Wheatley is arguably one of the most discussed authors of her time. Her success is an accumulation of the many rare circumstances that she was afforded in life. One could argue that it was pure luck that afforded her the opportunity to be educated and published in a society that still supported slavery. Whetleys poetry has been received in many ways over many generations. Some support and understand her point of view while others criticize it and feel that she is a sell out and an Uncle Tom. Whatever
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Phillis Wheatley and Frederick Douglass both lived similar lives. They were both slaves‚ fighting for liberty and equality. Yet their experience was different. Wheatley was a woman who was brought into America as a slave and Douglass was born into slavery. He knew of no place to call home but the place where he was born‚ a place that he is not allowed to subsist as a free man. On the other hand‚ Wheatley came to reconciliation with it. In her poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America and Douglass’
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women. Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan woman born in the 1600s. She was a brilliant writer and wanted her talents shown‚ but she had a hard time with this profession because of the roles Puritan women were to have. Today her work is very well known and has inspired many women and men. You may be wondering how her work became known if she was in a time period where women were not to have such careers. After reading this essay‚ you should have a better understanding of how Anne Bradstreet felt about the
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born in Senegal Gambia in about 1753. At the age of 8‚ she was kidnapped and was brought to Boston on a slave ship. When she arrived in America‚ john Wheatley bought her as a gift for his wife‚ Susanna. When she arrived at the house‚ Wheatly
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ridiculous as this all sounds‚ Bradstreet had to do this. Being raised a Puritan‚ Bradstreet‚ had a strict belief system and with that came certain rules she had to follow‚ such as‚ putting God first‚ and not having any attachments to her secular belongings. That being said‚ “Whoever dies with the most toys wins.” would clearly be a phrase that she and other puritans would disagree with. However‚ while it is a sin to show emotional attachments to your things‚ Bradstreet does just that‚ but catches herself
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enough faith to “bless His grace that gave and took” (Bradstreet 14). Bradstreet’s use of euphonious diction with soft s‚ c‚ v‚ and g sounds in phrases such as “bless His grace” give a tender‚ graceful mood to the poem. Also‚ her word choice has a positive connotation and suggests unconditional praise. She says that the world holds no promises for her‚ because her “hope and treasure lies above” (54). The irony in this line is relevant because Bradstreet has just lost everything she has ever had‚ but she
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consequently‚ contradicting the entire nature of the poem. Perhaps‚ the speaker is trying to express an idea of complete devotion to God and detachment of material possessions‚ whilst her own lines give out the nature of flawed human beings. Anne Bradstreet was a puritan‚ the majority of her poems have themes that reference the relationship with God and how imperative it is to live our lives purely and as instruments at His disposal. In this poem‚ the speaker struggles with this whole perception. Revealing
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