Huswifery

Rosie Charles
AP Eng III
09/09/09*
Huswifery


In the poem Huswifery, Edward Taylor is a man with many restrictions on his writing. As learned in class, everything but sermons had to be plain in some type of context. Yes, it is true; Taylor was very simple and straight forward. Yet, he still managed to use one specific rhetorical concept: figurative language. While still marinating its “plain-ness’, the poem also reflects upon pathos.


Figurative language is the use of words to describe, sometimes, a completely different meaning. One thing I must point out is that most figurative language can not be taken literally. Readers should not hold on to each and every word to analyze the phrase. “My Words and Actions, that their shine may fill My wayes with glory and thee glorify.” In this phrase, the author is explaining that with the help of his God, his ways and actions will be a positive resemblances of his true self. And he will be glorified by the Lord. Another example of Taylor’s plain yet sophisticated manor in rhetorics is this quote: “then mine apparel shall display before yee That I am Cloathd in Holy robes for glory.” What I understood from this phrase is that Taylor believes that with all this help from God, he can become saved and that his outside appearance will show that he is saved. This can also be worded more simply as He believes that he can be recognized as an “elect” person of the Puritan church.


This entire poem is related and dedicated to the rhetoric form of pathos. As we know pathos is emotions. As a Puritan writer, the purpose is “supposed” to be to influence others of the Puritan way. That is emotion. People are highly emotional about their religion. If they weren’t, Puritanism would have never been created. In this poem, emotions are meant to be set as humble yet intense. Humble because Puritans should be humble when speaking of God, or when Puritan. Intense because, well, its GOD! Puritans love their God with a love so fierce that they believe other religions do not compare.


I believe the poem Huswifery follows the Puritan rules to the teeth. The poem was, for one, about God. Their entire writings are supposed to be about God and God only. Also, the text isn’t too complicated. It is simple because the only complex writings are sermons because they are so intense and heartfelt. Lastly, he uses figurative language. Even though figurative language is a concept of rhetorics, Taylor kept it plain and simple while using metaphor like phrases.