Anne Bradstreet's "Upon Burning of Our House"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Anne Bradstreet's poem "Upon Burning of Our House" written in 1666 about a burning house and the loss of all material goods. It analyzes how the work is based on the Puritan theological concepts of the time which tended reveal a sense of hopelessness and despondency as far as life was concerned. It shows how the willingness of the poet to shun the world and its possessions for bigger rewards is a purely Puritan concept which seems to lack substance. Material accomplishments were viewed as selfish desires, which had to be abandoned if a man sought to achieve happiness in the world thereafter.

From the Paper:

"Bradstreet is exploring a very simple Christian concept in this poem. However if the poem is studied in historical context, we can unearth many significant messages, which speak volumes about the times of the poet. For example, the willingness of the poet to shun this world and its possessions for bigger rewards is a purely Puritan concept, which upon close examination seems to lack substance. The poet it appears was writing this poem to please the society of her times and thus failed to make any significant original contribution to this cliched idea. Christianity has been preaching the same thing since time immemorial and it has been extensively discussed. "

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