Edward Taylor

Make me, O Lord, thy Spining Wheele compleat;

Thy Holy Worde my Distaff make for mee.

Make mine Affections thy Swift Flyers neate,

And make my Soule thy holy Spoole to bee.

My Conversation make to be thy Reele,

And reele the yarn thereon spun of thy Wheele.

Make me thy Loome then, knit therein this Twine:

And make thy Holy Spirit, Lord, winde quills:

Then weave the Web thyselfe. The yarn is fine.

Thine Ordinances make my Fulling Mills.

Then dy the same in Heavenly Colours Choice,

All pinkt with Varnish’t Flowers of Paradise.

Then cloath therewith mine Understanding, Will,

Affections, Judgment, Conscience, Memory;

My Words, and Actions, that their shine may fill

My wayes with glory and thee glorify.

Then mine apparell shall display before yee

That I am Cloathd in Holy robes for glory.

1. Discuss the following questions.

1) What objects is the housewife comparing herself to in the poem?

2) In Line 2, to what does the speaker compare the distaff, the device that holds the wool from which the yarn is made?

3) Within the spinning wheel imagery, what part does the soul correspond to in Line 4?

4) What does the speaker ask the Lord to do to the cloth in Line 11? What happens to the cloth?

5) According to Lines 13-15, what will be adorned with the clothes that have been made? In Lines 17-18, who will see how the speaker is clothed?

6) What does the poem suggest about the speaker’s attitude toward God?

7) What elements in this poem give it the tone of a prayer?

8) Does Taylor believe one can achieve grace through one’s own efforts, or much grace come as a gift from God? Supply evidence from the poem for your answer.

9) How does Huswifery contrast a heavenly vision with the everyday things of this world?

10) What basic Puritan beliefs and values are expressed in this poem?

2. Pair Work: Read the following introduction to Metaphysical poetry and discuss the conceits in Huswifery with your partners.

Metaphysical poetry is a style of poetry made popular in Jacobean England (reign of King James I, from 1603-1625) by poet John Donne and others of the “metaphysical school”. Generally, metaphysical poetry is poetry that employs elaborate and extravagant comparisons (figures of speech). These figures are called “conceits” (thoughts). An oftenused “conceit” compares an abstract thought or concept with a domestic (household or commonplace image) or natural image. The abstract ideas are often religious principles or doctrines like “redemption” “salvation” or “nature of Man”.

Notes

1.Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864): He was an American novelist and short story writer. Hawthorne’s ancestors include John Hathorne, the only judge involved in the Salem witch trials who never repented of his actions. Nathaniel later added a “w”to make his name “Hawthorne” in order to hide this relation. Much of Hawthorne’s writing centers on New England, many works featuring moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration. His fiction works are considered part of the Romantic movement and, more specifically, dark romanticism. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity.

2.Salem: It is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Featured notably in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, much of the city’s cultural identity is reflective of its role as the location of the Salem witch trials of 1692.

3.King Philip’s War (1675-1676): Also known as Metacom’s Rebellion, it marked the last major effort by the Indians of southern New England to drive out the English settlers. Led by Metacom, the Pokunoket chief called “King Philip” by the English, the bands known today as Wampanoag Indians joined with the Nipmucks, Pocumtucks, and Narragansetts in a bloody uprising. It lasted fourteen months and destroyed twelve frontier towns.

4.Sabbath day: In Christianity, both those who observe the seventh day as Sabbath and those who observe the first day as Sabbath consider themselves “Sabbatarian” and regard Sabbath as the Lord’s Day, each group believing its position to be taught by the Bible; similarly for others who hold to strong Sabbath principles.

5.John Steinbeck (1902-1968): As an American writer, He was widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and East of Eden (1952) and the novella Of Mice and Men (1937). As the author of twenty-seven books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and five collections of short stories, Steinbeck received, in 1962, the Nobel Prize in Literature for his “realistic and imaginative writing, combining as it does sympathetic humor and keen social perception”.

6.Edward Taylor (1642-1729): He was an American Puritan poet and minister of the Congregational church at Westfield, Massachusetts for over fifty years. Considered one of the more significant poets to appear in America in the 17th and 18th centuries, his fame is the result of two works, The Preparatory Meditations (written 1682-1725) and Gods Determinations Touching His Elect (written 1682?). But he also wrote many other poems during his long life, and he was an indefatigable preacher. Over sixty of his sermons are extant as well as a long treatise, The Harmony of the Gospels.

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