American poetry of the seventeenth century / edited with an introduction, notes, and comments by Harrison T. Meserole.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Meserole, Harrison T.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

American poetry--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.

American poetry.

American poetry--Colonial period.

Physical Description:

xxxvi, 541 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

University Park : Pennsylvania State University Press, [1985]

Summary:

This definitive anthology of colonial American poetry is now available in a classroom edition reflecting recent scholarship. The book presents 250 representative poems -- 59 printed here for the first time -- accompanied by Professor Meserole's illuminating introduction, notes, glosses, comments, and catalogue of sources. The poems recreate vividly the flavor of life in the colonial period, revealing the thoughts and feeling of early Americans. Included here are love lyrics, religious meditations, political satire, elegies, and personal narratives. It is clear that seventeenth-century American poetry is in effect a diary of the period, relating political squabbles, religious controversies, and everyday preoccupations such as Indian attacks, births and deaths, witchcraft, and (not least problematic) New England weather. Thus this book reflects colonial life as well as literature.

Contents:

Introductory Note xvi

/ Anne Bradstreet (c. 1612-1672) 3

Contemplations 10

[As Weary Pilgrim, now at Rest] 18

The Flesh and the Spirit 20

The Four Seasons of the Year 23

The Vanity of all worldly things 30

In memory of my dear grand-child Elizabeth Bradstreet 31

To My Dear and Loving Husband 32

A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Publick Employment 32

Another [Letter to Her Husband] 33

On my dear Grand-child Simon Bradstreet 34

Here followes some verses upon the burning of our House 35

/ Michael Wigglesworth (1631-1705) 37

God's Controversy with New-England 42

A Prayer unto Christ the Judge of the World 54

The Day of Doom 55

A Song of Emptiness to Fill up the Empty Pages Following 114

/ Edward Taylor (c. 1642-1729) 119

[Preparatory] Meditation 1.1 123

[Preparatory] Meditation 1.8 124

[Preparatory] Meditation 1.29 125

[Preparatory] Meditation 1.32 126

[Preparatory] Meditation 1.39 128

[Preparatory] Meditation 2.1 129

[Preparatory] Meditation 2.2 130

[Preparatory] Meditation 2.3 132

[Preparatory] Meditation 2.4 133

[Preparatory] Meditation 2.56 134

[Preparatory] Meditation 2.150 137

Gods Determinations: The Preface 137

The Frowardness of the Elect in the Work of Conversion 138

The Joy of Church Fellowship rightly attended 140

Upon a Spider Catching a Fly 141

Huswifery 142

The Ebb and Flow 143

/ Edward Johnson (1598-1672) 147

The Reverend Mr. Higgingson 149

Mr. Eliot Pastor ... at Roxbury 149

A few lines in remembrance of Thomas Hooker 150

Mr. Roger Harlackenden 151

Mr. Thomas Shepheard 151

Onely the reverend grave and godly Mr. Buckly remaines 152

Oh King of Saints 152

Good News from New-England 156

Of the reasons moving this people to transplant themselves 156

Of the Transportation of people 159

Of the arrivall of our English Nation 162

A briefe description of the Land 163

Of their building, planting, and giving out of Lands 166

[To populate this howling desart Land] 167

[What creature man] 170

[Yet unto God this people feeling sayes] 172

[Church-covenant Band brought in with liberty] 173

/ Roger Williams (c. 1603-1683) 175

[The Courteous Pagan shall condemne] 177

[Course bread and water's most their fare] 177

[God gives them sleep] 178

[The Pagans wild confesse the bonds] 178

[How busie are the sonnes of men?] 179

[Boast not proud E[n]glish] 179

[Mans restlesse soule hath restlesse eyes and ears] 180

[They see Gods wonders that are call'd] 180

[What Habacuck once spake] 180

[Adulteries, Murthers, Robberies, Thefts] 181

[The Indians prize not English gold] 181

[I have heard ingenuous Indians say] 181

[Our English Gamesters scorne to stake] 182

[The Indians count of Men as Dogs] 182

[Truth is a Native, naked Beauty] 183

[One step twix't Me and Death] 183

[When Indians heare that some there are] 184

/ John Fiske (1608-1677) 185

Upon the much-to be lamented desease of ... John Cotton 187

Upon the decease of Mris Anne Griffin 190

/ John Saffin (1626-1710) 193

An Acrostick on Mrs Elizabeth Hull 195

An Acrostick on Mrs. Winifret Griffin 195

Consideratus considerandus 196

A lamentation on my Dear Son Simon 197

[Sweetly (my Dearest) I Left thee asleep] 198

A brief Elegie on my Dear Son John 199

An Elegie On ... John Hull 199

One presenting a rare Book to Madame Hull Senr: his Vallintine 202

To his Excellency Joseph Dudley 202

March 4th Anno 1698: A Charracteristicall Satyre 204

Or Thus: A Satyretericall Charracter of a proud Upstart 205

/ Urian Oakes (1631-1681) 207

An Elegie upon ... Mr. Thomas Shepard 209

/ Benjamin Tompson (1642-1714) 221

Edmund Davie 1682. annagram 223

To my Honoured Patron Humphery Davie 225

New-Englands Crisis 225

On A Fortification At Boston begun by Women 235

Marlburyes Fate 236

The Town Called Providence Its Fate 238

Seaconk Plain Engagement 239

Seaconk or Rehoboths Fate 240

Chelmsfords Fate 240

/ Richard Steere (1643-1721) 243

A Monumental Memorial Of Marine Mercy 245

Earth Felicities, Heavens Allowances 252

On a Sea-Storm nigh the Coast 265

A Poem, Upon the Caelestial Embassy 266

/ Nicholas Noyes (1647-1717) 269

A Praefatory Poem To ... Christianus per Ignem 271

The Rev. Nicholas Noyes to the Rev. Cotton Mather 274

A Prefatory Poem On ... Magnalia Christi Americana 275

To my Worthy Friend, Mr. James Bayley 278

A Consolatory Poem Dedicated unto Mr. Cotton Mather 281

/ Philip Pain (c. 1647-c. 1667) 285

The Porch 287

Meditations for July 19, 1666 287

Meditations for July 25, 1666 288

Meditations for July 26, 1666 289

Meditations for August 1, 1666 290

/ Francis Daniel Pastorius (1651-1720) 293

[When I Solidly Do Ponder] 294

[On His Garden Book] 295

If any be pleased to walk into my poor Garden 296

[Most Weeds, whilst young] 296

[If thou wouldest Roses Scent] 297

[When one or other rambles] 297

[As often as some where before my Feet] 298

[Thy Garden, Orchard, Fields] 298

[Extract the Quint-essence] 299

[To God alone, the Only donour] 299

[Delight in Books] 299

[I have a pretty Little Flow'r] 300

[Learn, Lads and Lasses] 300

Epigrams 301

/ Samuel Sewall (1652-1730) 305

Wednesday, January 1. 1701 305

The Humble Springs of stately Sandwich Beach 306

Upon the Springs 306

This morning Tom Child, the Painter, died 306

To be engraven on a Dial 307

To ... Jno. Sparhawk on the Birth of His Son 307

/ John Danforth (1660-1730) 309

On my Lord Bacon 310

Two vast Enjoyments commemorated 310

The Mercies Of the Year, Commemorated 314

Profit and Loss 316

A few Lines to fill up a Vacant Page 319

A Poem. Upon ... Mrs. Anne Eliot 320

/ Cotton Mather (1663-1728) 323

Vigilantius 326

Epitaph [on Shubael Dummer] 332

[Go then, my Dove, but now no longer mine] 332

[O Glorious Christ of God; I live] 333

/ Benjamin Colman (1673-1747) 335

A Quarrel with Fortune 336

[To "Philomela"] 337

To Urania 337

Another to Urania 339

A Poem On Elijahs Translation 341

A Hymn of Praise, on a recovery from sickness 350

The Bay Psalm Book 353

Psalme 1 353

Psalme 19 354

Psalme 103 355

Psalme 107 357

/ Thomas Dudley (1576-1653) 365

Verses found in [His] pocket after his death 365

Nathaniel Ward (1578-1652) 366

Mercury shew'd Apollo, Bartas Book 367

[The world's a well strung fidle] 367

[Poetry's a gift wherein but few excell] 367

Mr. Ward of Anagrams thus 368

/ Thomas Morton (c. 1580-1646) 369

The Authors Prologue 369

New Canaans Genius. Epilogus 370

Epitaph 371

Carmen Elegiacum 371

The Poem [Rise Oedipeus] 372

The Songe 373

The Poem [I Sing th' adventures] 374

The Poem [What ailes Pigmalion?] 377

/ Captain John Smith (1580-1631) 378

The Sea Marke 378

John Smith of his friend Master John Taylor and his Armado 379

In the due Honor of the Author Master Robert Norton, and his Worke 379

/ John Cotton (1584-1652) 381

To my Reverend Dear Brother, M. Samuel Stone 381

In Saram 382

A Thankful Acknowledgment of God's Providence 383

/ John Wilson (c. 1588-1667) 384

A Copy of Verses ... On the sudden Death of Mr. Joseph Brisco 384

Claudius Gilbert 385

/ William Bradford (1590-1657) 387

A Word to New England 387

Of Boston in New England 388

[Epitaphium Meum] 389

/ Samuel Gorton (1592-1677) 391

[The serpent w[i]th a voyce, so slie and fine] 391

R. B. 395

/ Thomas Tillam (16? -post 1668) 397

Uppon the first sight of New-England 397

/ William Wood (1606-post 1637) 399

[Trees both in hills and plaines, in plenty be] 399

[The kingly Lyon, and the strong arm'd Beare] 400

[The Princely Eagle, and the soaring Hawke] 400

[The king of waters, the Sea shouldering Whale] 401

/ John Josselyn (c.

1610-post 1692) 403

The Poem [upon the Indian Squa] 403

[And the bitter storm augments; the wild winds wage] 404

[Description of a New England Spring] 404

/ Thomas Thatcher (1620-1678) 405

A Love Letter 405

/ Benjamin Woodbridge (1622-1684) 409

Upon the Author [Anne Bradstreet]; by a known Friend 409

Upon the Tomb of the most Reverend Mr. John Cotton 410

/ Jonathan Mitchell (1624-1668) 412

On the following Work [The Day of Doom] and Its Author 412

/ Samuel Danforth 1 (1626-1674) 414

[Almanac Verse] 414

Awake yee westerne Nymphs, arise and sing 417

/ John Rogers (1630-1684) 420

Upon Mrs. Anne Bradstreet Her Poems 420

/ Richard Chamberlain (c. 1632-post 1698) 423

To the much Honoured R. F. Esq. 423

/ John James (c. 1633-1729) 425

Of John Bunyans Life &c. 425

On ... John Haynes 426

/ Samuel Bradstreet (c. 1633-1682) 427

[Almanack Verse ... 1657] 427

/ Henricus Selyns (1636-1701) 429

On Mercenary and Unjust Bailiffs 429

Of Scolding Wives and the Third Day Ague 429

Upon the Bankruptcy of a Physician 430

Reasons for and against Marrying Widows 430

On Maids and Cats 430

Nuptial Song 431

Epitaph for Peter Stuyvesant 432

/ Ichabod Wiswall (1637-1700) 433

A Judicious Observation Of That Dreadful Comet 433

/ George Alsop (c. 1638-c. 1680) 446

The Author to his Book 446

Could'st thou (O Earth) live thus obscure 448

'Tis said the Gods 448

Be just (Domestick Monarchs) 449

Trafique is Earth's great Atlas 449

Heavens bright Lamp 449

Poor vaunting Earth 451

To My Cosen Mris. Ellinor Evins 452

Lines on a Purple Cap 452

/ Benjamin Harris (c. 1640-1720) 454

God save the King 454

Of the French King's Nativity 455

An Account of the Cruelty of the Papists 456

/ Francis Drake (c. 1650-post 1668) 457

To the Memory of the Learned and Reverend, Mr. Jonathan Mitchell 457

/ John Norton II (1651-1716) 460

A Funeral Elogy Upon ... Mrs. Anne Bradstreet 460

/ Nehemiah Walter (1663-1750) 464

An Elegiack Verse On ... Mr. Elijah Corlet 464

/ Richard Henchman (c. 1655-1725) 467

In Consort to Wednesday, Jan. 1st. 1701 467

Vox Oppressi To The Lady Phipps 471

/ Grindall Rawson (1659-1715) 476

Upon the Death of ... Mr. Jno Saffin Junr 476

To the Learned and Reverend Mr. Cotton Mather, on his Excellent Magnalia 478

/ John Williams (1664-1729) 480

Some Contemplations 480

/ Sarah Kemble Knight (1666-1727) 482

[Thoughts on the Sight of the Moon] 482

[Resentments Composed because of the Clamor of Town Topers] 483

[Warning to Travailers] 483

[Thoughts on Pausing at a Cottage] 484

[Pleasent Delusion] 484

/ Samuel Danforth II (1666-1727) 485

Ad Librum 485

An Elegy in Memory of Major Thomas Leonard Esq. 488

/ BenJamin Lynde (1666-1745) 491

[Lines Descriptive of Thomson's Island] 491

/ John Cotton of 'Queen's Creek' (fl. 1676) 495

Bacons Epitaph 495

Upon the Death of G: B 496

/ Roger Wolcott (1679-1767) 498

Psalm LXIV. 6, The Heart is Deep 498

Matthew X. 28 498

A Selection of Anonymous Verse

An Old Song 503

Thomas Dudley Ah! old must dye 505

[Resplendent studs of heaven's frame] 506

[The Whore That Rides in Us Abides] 510

[Time Tryeth Truth] 511

On How the Cobler 512

[Almanac Verse] 512.

Notes:

Previously published as: Seventeenth-century American poetry.

Includes index.

Bibliography: pages [517]-522.

ISBN:

0271004193

0271004185

OCLC:

12663570