Handouts for Neoclassicism/Puritanism – Flashcards

prodigy, preacher during the Great Awakening, had a famous sermon that was talked about for years later, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" which was his most famous work, and the president of Princeton University

a simple and clear style of writing that began as a revolt against ornate style that was particularly promoted by the Puritans. This style features these common traits: common, everyday vocabulary, simple sentence structure, clear and vivid images, and direct and precise statement. ex. sent.: My shoes are old, brown, kind of worn-out, but comfortable for walking around in.

a highly elaborate form of writing that was popular in England and America in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This writing style features difficult vocabulary, intricate sentence structure, complex figures of speech, and obscure allusions. ex. sent.: Shabby but beloved, my shoes house my feet as they carry me from place to place.

-not going to church as much - nervous, revival services -Jonathan Edwards is the most well known speaker during this time -plain

-he opens with the thesis of the sermon: "There is nothing between you and Hell; it is only the power and the mere pleasure of God that holds you up. but the air." *serious urgent tone in this -imagery: the use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, a thing, or a place -uses metaphors throughout the sermon to compare abstract concepts of God's wrath and the sinner's evil to common experiences -uses similes to also further illustrate man's sinfulness and his helplessness against the power of God -uses repetition of the nothing to emphasize the anger and power of God and the helplessness of man in the face of that anger. -uses Biblical allusions relating Sodom, the Biblical city of sinfulness, to man's present state of depravity. -the purpose of this sermon is to persuade the congregation to make a change from their sinfulness to the mercy and grace of a loving God. -the tone of this sermon is serious and urgent. ex. of hellfire and brimstone wrath preacher

tx. bk. ex. of what sermons are suppose to be: I. Laying open the text - as brief as possible A. Grammatical meaning B. Logical meaning II. Doctrine - sentence of the doctrine contained in the text III. Reasons for action A. One reason is given after another B. No transition between reasons other than a number IV. Application - uses of the doctrine in numbered sequence IV. Epilogue A. Ends when there is nothing more to be said B. Ends without show

-domestic life - house and home -the first American poet - period. not first woman poet. not first poet in the world. first american poet. -she documents the *struggles of a Puritan wife against the *hardships of New England *colonial life. -works shows unconditional faith and love for her children and husband, Gov. Simon Bradstreet whose political work often *left her along for long, lonely periods which prompted her to write many of her poems. *it was hard for her to be alone for so long. -well educated - extensive vocabulary -indifference to material wealth -plain style - easy to understand but it's in old poetry

-the puritans valued poetry for its usefulness in helping an individual to live and die well. -it is NOT used for art's sake -puritan poetry tends to find this world so radically imperfect as not to be worth saving or grieving, or even memorializing. -the Puritan poet placed little value on the *"world's body." *nothing in this world is worth worrying about - more concerned about after life -the Puritan poet looked for signs of God's will and man's destiny.

-beginning: wakes up - fire in house - worried going to lose everything - everything's burned - misses her stuff, but remember's it is The Lord's - preparing her a house far greater in Heaven. -writes in rhyming couplets

"Then while we live, in love let's so persevere That when we live no more, we may live ever." - Puritan way

-joined the *Massachusetts Bay Colony -*physician and *pastor in Westfield, MA. -*metaphysical style - abstract -only allowed a portion of *one poem to be published during his lifetime - family promised they would never publish it, but his grandson published *400 of his poems to Yale Library -complete poems were *not published until 1960. -his best-known work is the *conceit (elaborate metaphor) entitled "Huswifery," directly *compares weaving to God's salvation through divine grace.

-the work of a housewife -metaphorical conceit: two unlike things and compare throughout entire work -stanzas -spinning and weaving cloth -1st stanza: the poet begins the conceit - *no simile - literally is what it is - in the first stanza by comparing himself to a spinning wheel -If God will glorify the poet, the poet will then be able to glorify God through the beauty of his being. The key Puritan belief here: grace is a miraculous transformation of oneself from coarse imperfection to shining purity.

-theocracy: God was the head of the gov. -Calvinists: corrupt -Covenant Theology: they taught that man's innate corruption could be escaped by believing in God and doing good works. -plainness: plain in language, colors, clothes, no buttons, no mirrors -hard work: stay out of trouble that way -religious intolerance: hypocrisy and other religions not tolerated -faith in *divine providence -education was another means by which man can prevent his mind from sinning because of idleness -moral dilemma - either way you pick, it's disappointing because there are negatives on both sides. -allegory - extended metaphor; objects and persons represent meanings outside the story -internal conflict: struggles within the character (guilt and conscience) -external conflict: outside influences that cause problems (politics, religion, problems with neighbors, etc.)

"A belief in the presence of Satan (or his agents, such as witches) in daily life." - this means that man in naturally sinful and you are being tempted everywhere you go and you need to focus on God and live a simple life.

-an example of history because of their attitudes -unknown factors in this New World -a chance for your own life - start all over (enticements) -horrific voyage -coming over mainly because of religious reasons -bad planning (sick and starvation time - Puritans take care of the cursers.) -Indians looked at as child-like but they looked to them for knowledge. -begins with the record of the *Separatist movement in England -Bradford's account shows a *providential view of history - whatever happens in history happens because God wants it to happen. -the last two things happened in his book Of Plymouth Plantation

-he is the prototype of the Southern gentlemen -very educated -Byrd relates the events of the expedition like a *tall tale that uses exaggeration and humor in his narrative. -Biblical or mythological -journal was the best option - better for the wider part -owned 200,000 acres of land -brought a lifestyle to America from England -gives a glimpse of vegetation. there is also humor and exaggeration -he wanted to divide land between NC and Virginia - wrote a journal about it and this is new -massive plantation, china silverware, expensive stuff -owned slaves - not very nice

diary - for 1 or 2 people. a record of day-to-day experiences of the writer, usually meant to remain private. A diary is a type of journal with entries typically no more than one page written daily. Some people consider diaries to be more a focused record of events, experiences and impressions from a particular place and time. For example, a food diary may record the writer's daily meal intake or a weather diary may record the temperatures for a given year. Diaries such as these are simply record and usually do not remain private. journal - broader. a daily record of a writer's experiences that focuses on a wider range of subjects rather than simply daily activities like a diary. A journal can be devoted to a particular subject, a record of thoughts, free writing (no grammar or punctuation...just writing anything that comes to mind), lists, ideas, sketches or anything else that can freely move in any direction. A journal entry is longer than one written for a diary, with entries anywhere from three to ten pages per day. A journal may remain private or shared with others by being published. -blog - short for "web log," a blog is essentially a journal or diary kept over the World Wide Web. Because blogs live on web servers, they can be updated from any computer connected to the web. People post entries in blogs that are associated with a time-stamp, allowing entries to be archived and reviewed when desired. More sophisticated blogs allow tags, user comments, search capabilities, entry categories, and private entries. Just like the traditional journal or diary, people use blogs today for a variety of purposes.

Franklin used the pseudonym *Richard Saunders in writing the text, which soon became an annual publication up until 1757. Response to the almanac was tremendous, and it sold as many as 10,000 issues a year.

I. Literature of exploration and adventure used colorful language A. Disasters and adventure related to exploration, a phase of the renaissance B. Description of the new, strange lands and the Indians they met II. Travel Literature served different purposes A. Description of New England and Map of Virginia by John Smith used for propaganda to encourage people come to the New World. B. History of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford - gives the Puritans perspective of history as it narrates the founding of the Puritan Settlement in the New World. III. Sermons - theological and polemical (passionate argument) - most popular, developed, and plentiful literature produced during the Colonial period A. Primarily concerned with spiritual values B. Written in plain style which reflects the Puritan philosophy C. Sinners in the hands of an angry God by Jonathan Edwards - one of the most well-known examples of sermons from this period D. Cotton Mather and Jonathan Edwards were two of the most well-known theologiams during the Colonial period. IV. Diaries and autobiographies - written by a large number of colonists A. Puritans believed that all spiritual development depended on the effort of the individual. B. Puritans were encouraged by the church to keep individual records of their spiritual journey C. Mrs. Sarah Kemble Knight wrote one of the most famous diaries of this period. D. Diaries often give insight into life in 18th and 19th century in America. V. Poetry - helpful in promoting religion during the Colonial period A. Anne Bradstreet, Michael Wigglesworth, and Edward Taylor were the most important poets during the Colonial period. B. The Puritans saw the purpose of poetry was to glorify God. C. All poetry during the Colonial period was of a deeply relligious and spiritual nature. D. Secular poetry did not appear until the late 18th and 18th centuries.

-he is an orator -the Great Awakening influenced him -he was a law maker ("give me liberty or give me death" speech) -some of his words really sparked the Revolutionary War -he was *persuasive -he used biblical allusions, repetition, and rhetorical questions

-purpose of speech: to persuade the audience to a specific action (to take up arms against England) -Method of persuasion: 1. emotional appeal - words and images to stir the audience's feelings (usually literally techniques. 2. logical appeal - provides reasons and examples to support a particular opinion or course of action; based on reason and fact rhetorical allusions used in speech: -Biblical allusions - "I have but one lamp for which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience." -mythological allusions - "...listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts." -rhetorical questions - "But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year?" -metaphors - "They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging." "Sir, we have done everything...to avert the storm which is now coming on." -Repetition (for emphasis) - "...we must fight! I repeat sir, we must fight!" -parallelism - "If we wish to be free, if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges...if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle to which we have been so long engaged." -Henry's basic ideas: 1) It is only fighting that the colonists can remain free. 2) Britain's enlarging of its navies and armies is an effort to forcefully subdue the colonists. 3) It is useless "to cry peace" because the war had already begun. 4) If the colonists fail to fight, they may be enslaved by Britain. 5) Britain cannot be trusted.

-The thinking during the revolutionary period changed from being religiously centered to more politically motivated. -Neoclassicism pushed aside the view that man is a worthless creature with no will of his own. The thinkers of the enlightenment believed that man is actually a rational being capable of making his own decisions and progressing towards making a better life for himself. -People at this time turned to the Greeks *and Romans as classic examples of taste and conduct. Classic - art, literature, architecture or other areas that have stood the test of time. -John Locke believed that government is a contract between the people and their rulers. -Rousseau believed that a gov. should derive its authority from the consent of the people it governs. -Characteristics of Neoclassicism: 1) Attention directed to worldly matters and affairs 2) Stressed logic and reasoning 3) Looked to ancient Greeks for patterns 4) Appreciated men of courtly manners 5) Faith in the reality of the world as revealed through the senses 6) Distrust of the mystical or mysterious 7) Confident of attainment of progress through edu. and humanitarianism. 8) Order, justice, moderation, and wisdom are prime values -Most common type of of literature: political pamphlets, speeches, travel writing, diaries, and autobiographies. -Content: 1) national mission for freedom 2) American character 3) Democratic utopia 4) Logic and reason 5) Freedom is an act of the individual as well as an act of national self-assertion -Effect 1) Patriotism grows 2) Pride instilled among the colonists 3) a common agreement about issues is reached 4) differences between Americans and Europeans is emphasized 5) Revolutionary War is encouraged 6) Instructive values are supported -Benjamin Franklin is the epitome of the enlightened thinker. - Deism - an 18th century philosophy practiced by many founders of the U.S. that was based on rationalism. They believed that God created the world and its natural laws, but takes no other part in it. In contrast to puritans, deists believed in humanity's innate goodness and perfectibility.

His book, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is one of the most important forerunners of the literary genre called the *slave narrative.

-*classicists looked for "hope and treasure" here on earth. What is considered "classic"? Art, literature, architecture, etc. which has stood the test of time. For models of taste and conduct, the classicist turned to the Greeks and Romans. -*John Locke's belief that gov. is a contrast between the people and their rulers, along with Rousseau's philosophy that a gov. should derive its authority from the consent of the people it governs made up the philosophies that came to be known as the *Enlightenment. -*Issac Newton's discovery of gravity and motion was arrived upon by *reasoning. -Because of this new ability to be logical in thought, a new philosophy emerged called *Neoclassicism. -*Characteristics of Neoclassicism include: 1. Attention directed towards worldly matters and affairs 2. Stressed logic and reasoning 3. Looked to ancient Greeks for patterns 4. Appreciated men of courtly manners 5. Faith in the reality of the world as revealed through the senses 6. Distrust of the mystical or mysterious 7. Confident of the attainment of progress through education and humanitarianism 8. Order, justice, moderation, and wisdom are prime values -Benjamin Franklin was the epitome of the Enlightened thinker for America.

1. A transcendent God, as a First Cause, created the universe, but then left it to run on its own. God is thus not immanent, not fully personal, not sovereign over the affairs of man, not providential. 2. The cosmos God created is determined because it is created as a uniformity of cause and effect in a closed system; no miracle is possible. 3. Man, though personal, is part of the clockwork of the universe. 4. The cosmos, this world, is understood to be in its normal state; it is not fallen or abnormal. Man can know the universe, and he can determine what God is like by studying it. 5. Ethics is limited to general revelation; because the universe is normal, it reveals what is right. 6. History is linear, for the course of the cosmos was determined at creation.