In the Lesson Activity “Puritan Literature” from the Colonial Literature tutorial, you read two works: As Weary Pilgrim, Now at Rest by Anne Bradstreet, and from Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards. Write an analysis comparing and contrasting the 2 views on death presented. Cite evidence from the texts that supports your claims.

These two texts represent the views that Puritans held regarding life, death and religion. Anne Bradstreet was one of the earliest poets in America, and through her writing, we can appreciate the thought that was common during this time period. In this poem, Bradstreet presents a positive view of death. She thinks of death as a relief from life, and believes that the person who dies is happy to be able to rest silently and peacefully. She says: "As weary pilgrim, now at rest,/Hugs with delight his silent nest." Moreover, she wishes that she will eventually experience this too, as this will mean the end of her pain and worries: "This body shall in silence sleep/Mine eyes no more shall ever weep/No fainting fits shall me assaile/nor grinding paines my body fraile."

On the other hand, Jonathan Edwards has a much more negative view in his text "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Edwards sees God as a vengeful and strict being. He believes he is interested in punishing people for their misdeeds, which leads him to believe that death is something to be feared, as it will lead people to their final judgement and thus their eternal punishment. He tells us that "when that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide. Then they shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall into destruction." Although Edwards shares many Puritan ideas with Bradstreet, his view of religion is a much more negative one.

the first proposition is to question economic materialism and victorian christianity. the lines are:

“it moves us not.—great god! i'd rather be

a pagan suckled in a creed outworn; ”

wordsworth is stating that nature no longer interests mankind, that the latter is not “moved” by it and explains that ancient western paganism had a more positive attitude concerning nature since it lacked the perv erted judaeo-christian interpretation of having received the world and all its animals and elements from god to use as we , instead of humans actually being not only part of nature but its wardens, meant to appreciate it and protect it.

the next lines are:

“so might i, standing on this pleasant lea,

have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

have sight of proteus coming from the sea;

or hear old triton blow his wreathed horn.”

wordsworth here make it very clear that by actually looking and contemplating nature, human beings would reconnect with happiness, serenity and purpose. the use of mythological figures is quite evocative as well, proteus is a greek mythological god of the changing sea. he personifies the sea that changes, which symbolizes the way nature changes and inevitably can change to be destructive not only due to natural causes but to human pollution. furthermore, the sea is even more symbolic since all life originated in the sea so it is not only our past but our future since no life form in our planet can survive without water and if all water is destroyed in earth all life will be gone as well.

he then uses triton which is symbolic of the synthesis of both nature and mankind. triton is a mythological greek god that has the upper body of a man and the lower body of a fish (a merman). this human fish duality evokes the fact that humans are not only human but also part of nature, the fish tail representing nature. the main attribute of this god was that he used a conch shell as a horn to calm the roaring seas. in other words, triton uses nature through science for the benefit of human sailors who risk death during tempests. with the use of such metaphor, wordworth is conveying the message that human technology   is supposed to use nature to preserve nature and thereby humanity as well.

can you copy and paste what selections you read? the answer is based off of that.