Anne Bradstreet: The Flesh and the Spirit

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Thesis statement
Explication of the poem
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

Anne Bradstreet wrote the poem entitled the flesh and the spirit and tried to compare the things of the world and the thing of the spirit (Lash 1).

She clearly did this through dramatizing it into two different people in a form of conversation. Most of Bradstreets poetry revolved around her experiences in life and her great love for her family and husband. The theme of spiritualism can also be associated with the love and devotion she had for God.

Thesis statement

The writer, in her quest to compare spiritualism and materialism, dramatizes the two as sisters and involves them in a kind of conversation. The two seem to be in an argument, each wanting to support their own ideas and perceptions about life.

The author also tries to show that the world is in a perfect balance between good and evil and that it is the choice of the human beings to choose from one of them. This paper aims at making an explication of the poem to get the inner meaning and the finer details there in.

Explication of the poem

In the poem, the author talks of the two sisters and names them Flesh and Spirit as shown in line 5 and 7 in the poem respectively. The flesh is used to symbolize the tangible things of the earth, which include diamonds, pearls and gold as shown in line 84.

The author categorises and describes these things as having value. The spirit on the other hand, includes the things of the spirit that are not tangible and are priceless. This perception is highlighted in the phrase when the poet talks of the hidden manna in line 68 (Lash 2).

The poem shows the difficulty the people have in seeing the spirit or getting in its presence. This is however not the case when it comes to flesh since many can gain the worldly pleasures which gives them recognition and honour.

The author believes that the will of God for the puritans-who were a group of Protestants that arose in the 16th century within the Church of England, demanding the simplification of doctrine and worship, and greater strictness in religious discipline-was no longer fulfilled.

Religion, in this context, is displayed as being hard to reach and that only a few managed to attain it. Bradstreet uses symbolism and metaphors to show how religion belonged to a chosen few who were saved and assured of an after-life with God. The author also uses imagery to show the complicated beliefs that the religious people had about the way temptations of the worldly pleasures and gains corrupted their faith.

The poem is not made of stanzas as it takes the form of a long stanza. The author however manages to change the persona. In the beginning of the poem (line 2 to 5), the narrator comes in. The narrator is likely to be a witness who overheard the conversation between the two.

The next part of the poem which begins from line 10 to line 37, takes the form one of the sisters called by the name Flesh. The other sister, Spirit appears as from line 38 up to line 109 in the poem.

The narrator does not differentiate the characters in the poem through the use of stanzas but uses a caesura to show that the conversation takes a pause as the character changes. The author probably utilizes slat rhymes from line 1 to line 15 to demonstrate that as much as the two were from the same origin (twins), their perception and believes about life differed remarkably.

The author uses iambic tetrameter in the whole poem which can take the form of the corners of a square to define the equilibrium that was attained by the two situations. The use of four iambs in a line demonstrates the enclosure of beliefs of the puritans. The bible talks of the way God throws out Lucifer, who was an angel, from heaven in to abyss to take over the world and is called the devil.

The irony here is that the devil, in conjunction with God, keeps the universe in a balance. This balance usually gives humans the choice between good and evil. This is the only way man can get to know what is wrong and what is right and therefore choose from the two.

This poem contrasts the two sisters as good and evil when she says that there is no candle there and yet there was light and that there shall be no darksome night, on lines 101 and 102 respectively. These phrases mean that wherever the Spirit resides, the light of God illuminates it.

Also the phrase that says, this city pure is not for thee and for things unclean there shall not be (lines 106-107) show the fact that one is pure and the other one evil. Spirit has a judgmental tone as she appraises herself as being worthy of Gods favour and despises the filth of the earth that Flesh is associated with. She also believes that she would live with God for eternity for her goodness.

The aspect of idol worship, which is supported by flesh, is also brought out in the poem. Flesh is quoted trying to convince her sister, Spirit in to it. This can be seen when Flesh challenges Spirit that with immortal fame, she would be worshipped and her name praised.

The phrase in line 28 that say trophies will be erected in her name show the extent of appreciation she would have if she were on her side. This issue of worshipping idols is condemned in the Christian faith and that explains the great difference between good and evil.

The people who desire things of the flesh and those that are worldly and not spiritual are drawn into idol worship which is against the teachings and the commands given by God. In the poem, however, Spirit is seen as being very proud as opposed to being humble.

This shows some form of contradiction to the whole concept of religion. It shows how Christians only believe that they are the ones on the right and deserve to go to heaven and believe that all the rest who are not Christians and do not abide by the statutes belong to hell.

On many occasions Flesh is seen to be asking the sister why she always only thought of and fantasized about things that seemed impossible to get or attain. In line 9 to 11 she asks her whether she only lives on nothing but meditation and contemplation.

Flesh tries to pump sense in to Spirits head and tells her to get realistic. She wonders whether where Spirit believes she would finally go possesses treasure in store for her (Lash 1). Flesh would rather get treasure that is tangible that wait for the unseen and intangible treasure that Spirit talks of.

Conclusion

Anne Bradstreet manages to demonstrate the perfect balance that exists between good and evil in the world. It therefore leaves the reader with the freedom to choose between the two but shows clearly the difference between the two and the consequences of choosing either.

There is no clear illustration to show whether it is possible to get an intermediate between the two and therefore it would mean that one chooses from either being materialistic or being spiritual.

Bradstreet, through her poem, believes that Christianity is a big struggle of trying to maintain purity and that it only belongs to the chosen ones. Those that are chosen are assured of living with God through eternity and enjoying the treasures that are in store for them.

The writer, through Spirit, describes the beauty of heaven as having a crystal river that runs through it, a gate made of pearl and streets of gold that could be seen through. This description of beauty is meant to show the treasure that are in store for Spirit and anyone else that is willing to follow and abide by the Christian teachings.

The reader also appreciates the fact that there are many temptations and they are actually rewarding since it brings fame and great riches. The writer however brings out clearly in the poem and appreciates the fact that it is because of such temptations that one is able to learn of the higher calling and gets to know how to refrain from them.

Work Cited

Lash, Chris. Anne Bradstreet: The Flesh and The Spirit. 2011. Web.

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