Your Bible to All Things Puritan
______________145 pts TOTAL
While THE BIBLE is one’s guide to all things related to Christianity and Judaism, a bible is also a book considered authoritative
in it’s field. As we study literature by early Americans, you are going to create your own bible of all things Puritan. This book will
consist of analysis of Puritan literature as well and your own interpretation of Puritan beliefs. Upon completion, your bible will
consist of the eight components listed below.
William Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation”
*The following tasks need to be completed in your “Puritan Bible.”
Style can be considered as: combining two elements; the idea to be expressed and the individuality of the author. Just as no two
personalities are alike, no two styles are alike. A study of styles includes analyzing diction, sentence structure, syntax, imagery,
rhythm, repetition, coherence, emphasis and the arrangement if ideas.
Bradford’s description of life for the Pilgrims after finally making it to “the new world” is rich with rhetorical devices and style.
You may not find Bradford’s style friendly or something you’d like to adopt BUT you have to remember, he lived in a much
slower time; a time without texting, Facebook, navigational devices or television. And you have to give Bradford credit because
he had a handle on rhetorical devices. And while you may not want to adopt Bradford’s style as your own, reading his passage can
give you insight on how to effectively use rhetorical devices in your own writing so you can “write prose of sufficient richness and
complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers.” (College Board’s description of the AP Language curriculum)
1. 5 pts each- Find and document one example of the following rhetorical devices in Bradford’s writing:
1. repetition (of phrases, words, sentence structure, ect)
2. metaphors (where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable)
3. participles (A word formed from a verb (e.g., going, gone, being, been) and used as an adjective
4. passive voice (the subject does not act, it is acted upon- generally uses was or has)
5. personification (giving human like qualities to inanimate objects)
6. beginning sentences with coordinating conjunctions (connect words, phrases or clauses- FANBOYS)
7. parallelism (recurrent syntactical similarity) identify the advanced form of parallelism as well as the parallelism
2. 15 pts Assume that this prompt is before you on the AP Language exam. You have approximately 40 minutes to read a portion of what you read
today and write an essay that addresses the following:
1. How does William Bradford’s style of writing convey the Pilgrims’ attitude toward God and nature? Write only the
introductory paragraph. You should not take more than five minutes to do so but make sure you address both tasks in the directions.
Bradstreet “Here Follow Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House July 10, 1666.”
*To Be completed in your “Puritan Bible”
3. 15 pts Gloss Bradstreet’s “Here Follow Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House July 10, 1666.” Glossing a poem means to note (in
the margins) what each stanza means in your own words. When glossing, also note figures of speech (find three), the tone shift
and inverted sentences.
See other side
4. 20 pts After glossing the poem, create a paragraph that addresses the following five questions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Why would an author want to use inverted sentences? Why is this a valued rhetorical device?
What internal debate exists in Bradstreet’s poem?
How are Bradstreet’s Puritan beliefs’ expressed in the poem?
Where does the tone shift exist in the poem. How do the two tones relate or differ from each other?
What does Bradstreet’s poem teach us about the time period in which she lived? What can we infer about her
lifestyle?
Edward’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
5.10 pts Draw two images that come to mind when reading “Sinners” and explain how they link to the themes in the text.
6 10 pts In one paragraph, explain how Edward’s approach to communication with his peers is different than Bradford’s. Address the tone of the piece
as well as Edward’s rhetoric and argument.
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible
7. 10 pts each Please answer THREE of the questions below in your “Puritan Bible.”
1. What constitutes true authority? Is it learning, holding high office in the state, the dictates of religious law as interpreted
by officials of the established religion, the moral values and conscience of the individual, something else? Explain.
2. How does pride lead the people of Salem in their actions and decision making, or hold them back from following morals
and/or logic?
3. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is often viewed more as a tragedy of humanity and the individual within it rather than a true
political allegory of McCarthyism and the Red Scare. In addition, Miller’s concern may be something far greater than
“Did witches really exist in Salem?” It may be pointing out the true condition of humanity. What do you think?
4. Finally, focus particularly on the character of John Proctor. Does he ultimately make the right decision? Is it permissible
to lie in order to save your life? Isn’t a survivor also a hero? Doesn’t Proctor have a duty to his wife and kids?
5. Can you think of any modern day witch hunts? Explain and compare to the events in The Crucible.
6. A crucible is a place or occasion of a true test or trial. Provide examples from the movie of events that support the
concepts behind the title.
Art and Interpretations
8. 20 pts Do a Google image search of “Puritans” and examine the art. Write a paragraph examining the way in which the various artists depicted
Puritan life. Note similarities and differences in images, color used, depiction of males, females, white Europeans, Native Americans, landscape.
Examine how the latter shape our views on Puritan life and beliefs.