Plain Style & Puritanism
Natalie Arwine
Plain Style:
-The straightforward delivery of information
Puritanism:
-Writing about simple incidences as if they have religious meaning
-The writer's purpose is to show how God is present in life
Puritan Plain Style: Poetry
-Puritan Poetry is written in Plain Style
-Short words-Direct statements
-Reference to everyday life
Examples
Plain Style:
- Shabby but beloved, my shoes house my feet as they carry me from place to place.
- My shoes are old and brown, worn out but comfortable for walking.
- The pen with which I write often leaks ink.
- My pen spills its blood as it brings words to life.
Puritanism:
- A snake found under a person’s porch may be seen as the presence of evil. This could be a warning from God or a visit from the devil.
- A woman accidentally burning a shirt may represent the fact that God was preparing her for the future death of her husband.
Puritan Plain Style:
To My Dear and Loving Husband
By Anne Bradstreet
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole Mines of gold, 5
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompence.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray. 10
Then while we live, in love let's so persevere,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.
Bradstreet clearly shows affection for her husband. Material wealth, Mines of gold, isn't worth as much to her as her love of God and her husband. Because of their undeniable love, they will be together in the afterlife.
NOW- Find one example of Puritan Plain Style!
HINT: Google Puritan Poems
Bibliography
"What Is the Plain Style in English Speech and Composition?" About. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.