Hello! Welcome to your fifth lesson in our survey of American poetry.
In the last lesson, we took a close look at the work of Anne Bradstreet, focusing on her use of the "typological voice" to frame personal experience within a grand biblical narrative. You saw how she transformed domestic events into spiritual meditations, all while adhering to the Puritan value of plain style.
Today, we turn to the second major Puritan poet, Edward Taylor. Our goal is to explain the intricate relationship between Puritan theology and the unique poetic form of his major work, the Preparatory Meditations. While Bradstreet wrote for her family and, eventually, the public, Taylor's poems were intensely private spiritual exercises, which allowed him to develop a style that was anything but "plain." He drew heavily on the complex, intellectually dense style of English Metaphysical poets like John Donne and George Herbert, with whom you have some familiarity.
1. The Minister on the Frontier
To understand Taylor's poetry, we must first understand his life and purpose. Unlike Bradstreet, who was a layperson, Edward Taylor (c. 1642-1729) was an orthodox Puritan minister and physician in the remote frontier town of Westfield, Massachusetts. For over 50 years, he served his congregation, and during this time, he secretly composed a vast body of poetry that was not discovered and published until the 1930s.
Let's begin with a short video that introduces Taylor and the context in which he wrote.
American Puritan Poets | Bradstreet, Wigglesworth, Taylor | Lect. 2 | Early American Poetry Course
This clip from Adam Walker's 'Close Reading Poetry' channel provides a concise overview of Edward Taylor's life, his devout Puritan background, and the personal, devotional nature of his poetry.
Please watch the segment from 00:25:47 to 00:29:24. As you watch, note the reasons for his move to New England and the description of his poetry as grappling with the 'invisible relationship between the soul and God.'
The crucial takeaway here is that Taylor's poems were not intended for an audience. As one scholar notes, they were written "for an audience of God or Christ alone, or as meditative self-examinations of Taylor's soul." This private nature is key to understanding their form and content.
2. Poetry as Theological Practice: The Preparatory Meditations
The title of Taylor's main poetic sequence, Preparatory Meditations, is not merely descriptive; it is prescriptive. These poems were a core part of his spiritual and professional life as a minister.
The following text explains the fundamental purpose of these poems. Understanding this purpose is the most direct way to link his theology to his poetic form.
This text, from an online study guide for the Heath Anthology of American Literature, explains the functional role of the Preparatory Meditations in Taylor's life.
Please read the two following sections from the guide: In the section 'Significant Form, Style, or Artistic Conventions,' read the second paragraph, starting with 'Taylor's form and style seem too predictable...' and ending with '...and delivery of his Sacrament sermon.' In the section 'Teaching Issues and Interpretation,' read the first paragraph, starting with 'Placing Taylor in the context...' and ending with '...give meaning to the innately corrupt heart.' Focus on how these poems are defined as 'meditative self-examinations' and a form of 'preparation' for the Lord's Supper.
As the readings clarify, Taylor wrote these poems to prepare his own heart and mind before administering the sacrament of the Lord's Supper (also known as Communion or the Eucharist). Each meditation is a deep reflection on the specific biblical passage he would preach on for that sacrament service.
This transforms the act of writing poetry from a purely aesthetic pursuit into a ritual of spiritual purification. For Taylor, poetry was a tool for theological work.
3. Form Follows Faith: The Metaphysical Conceit
Taylor's primary poetic tool for this theological work was the metaphysical conceit. As you may recall from your study of Donne, a conceit is an extended, elaborate, and often surprising metaphor that yokes together two very dissimilar things. Taylor uses conceits to explore the relationship between God and humanity, and to see divine truth in the most mundane corners of his world.
His most famous poem, "Huswifery" (an archaic term for 'housewifery'), is a perfect example. In it, the speaker asks God to make him into a spinning wheel and loom, transforming him into a vessel for creating holy cloth.
Let's watch a reading and analysis of this poem.
This video provides a clear definition of the metaphysical conceit and applies it directly to 'Huswifery,' explaining how Taylor uses the imagery of spinning and weaving to express a desire for complete spiritual transformation.
Please watch from 00:03:40 to 00:12:27. Pay attention to the definition of a conceit and how each part of the spinning and weaving process is metaphorically linked to a part of the speaker's soul and his relationship with God.
In "Huswifery," the complex, domestic process of making cloth becomes a detailed allegory for sanctification—the Puritan theological concept of being made holy through God's grace. Taylor's poetic form (the conceit) is the vehicle for expressing a core theological doctrine (sanctification). He prays that his very being—his understanding, will, affections, and actions—be woven into a garment that glorifies God.
4. Structure as Spiritual Discipline
Beyond the conceit, the very structure of the Preparatory Meditations reflects a theological purpose. Nearly all of the 217 meditations are written in the same strict form: a six-line stanza of iambic pentameter with an ababcc rhyme scheme.
Why this rigid, repetitive form? For Taylor, this disciplined structure acts as a "cage" or a rational framework to contain the explosive, often ecstatic, emotional and spiritual content of the poems. It mirrors the Puritan ideal of imposing spiritual discipline upon the passionate, rebellious human soul. The fixed form provides order to the often chaotic experience of grappling with sin, doubt, and divine mystery.
Test your understanding!
Given what you've learned, how does Taylor's choice to use the elaborate metaphysical conceit differ from the "plain style" advocated by many other Puritans and practiced by Anne Bradstreet? What might this difference suggest about the purpose of their respective poetry?
Show answer
The Puritan "plain style" was intended for public instruction and community worship, emphasizing clarity and accessibility to convey biblical truths without ornate distraction. Bradstreet's use of it fits the public-facing nature of much of her work.
Taylor's use of the complex metaphysical conceit, however, is suited for a different purpose: private, meditative self-examination. The conceit is not for clear public instruction but for deep, personal exploration. It allows him to dissect theological concepts in minute detail and to connect the abstract (grace, salvation) with the concrete (a spinning wheel, a loaf of bread) in a way that is intellectually and spiritually challenging for the individual—in this case, himself. The complexity serves the goal of profound personal contemplation, not broad public edification.
5. A Deeper Dive: Theology in "Meditation 1"
Let's see all these elements—the preparatory purpose, the metaphysical conceit, and the theological doctrine—come together in a close reading of the very first meditation. This poem meditates on John 14:18, "I will not leave you comfortless," and explores the nature of Christ's love.
American Puritan Poets | Bradstreet, Wigglesworth, Taylor | Lect. 2 | Early American Poetry Course
Adam Walker returns to provide a detailed close reading of 'Meditation 1,' unpacking its complex imagery and connecting it directly to core tenets of Puritan theology.
Please watch the analysis from 00:29:24 to 00:34:51. Focus on how the analysis connects the poetic devices to specific theological ideas: The liquid/blood imagery and the conceit of overflowing love. The doctrine of substitutionary atonement. The structure of the poem, moving from God to a personal application, which mimics the structure of a Puritan sermon (homiletics).
This analysis demonstrates perfectly how Taylor's poetic form is saturated with theology. The poem is a machine for thinking about God. The central conceit of divine love as an overflowing liquid allows him to meditate on the Trinity, the Incarnation (God's "manhood"), and the Atonement (Christ's blood quenching the flames of Hell). The poem's structure then follows the classic Puritan sermon format, moving from a general theological doctrine to a specific, personal application, ending with a desperate plea for God's grace to "blow the coal" of love within his own "chilly" heart.
6. A "Wilderness Baroque"
Because of this rich, complex, and highly decorative style, some scholars have described Taylor's poetry as "baroque," contrasting it sharply with the austerity we often associate with Puritans. This term helps capture the fusion of his high literary style with his rustic, colonial environment.
Towards a New Poetics of Puritanism: Edward Taylor’s Preparatory Meditations
This final reading from an article by Min-Hua Wu introduces the concept of Taylor's style as 'wilderness baroque' and summarizes the intimate relationship between his poetic form and his theological goals.
Please read the following three sections from the paper: Start at 'Generally speaking, the imagery in Taylor’s verse...' and read to the end of that paragraph, which defines 'wilderness baroque.' Read the paragraph beginning 'On the other hand, the heart or will of the humankind remains at the center...' This explains why poetry's private nature was essential for Taylor. Read the final paragraph of the essay, 'In conclusion, Edward Taylor’s new poetics...'
The key idea here is that Taylor's poetic universe allowed for a private, emotional, and intellectually vibrant engagement with God that public forms like the sermon might have constrained. His highly wrought poetic form was the vessel for "a highly intimate and personalized relation to God."
Conclusion
Today we've delved into the complex world of Edward Taylor, where poetic form is inseparable from theological function. His work provides a powerful counter-narrative to the idea that all Puritan art was plain and austere.
Key Takeaways:
- Edward Taylor's Preparatory Meditations were private spiritual exercises written to prepare his soul for administering the Lord's Supper.
- His primary poetic tool was the metaphysical conceit, an extended metaphor used to explore complex theological doctrines (like sanctification and atonement) by linking them to concrete, everyday objects and processes.
- The rigid six-line stanza (
ababcc) of the Meditations served as a form of spiritual discipline, providing a rational container for ecstatic and often turbulent spiritual emotions. - The poems typically follow a sermon-like structure, moving from a general theological observation to an intensely personal application.
- Taylor's ornate, intellectually dense style can be described as "wilderness baroque," a fusion of high European literary fashion with the concerns of a Puritan minister on the American frontier.
In our next lesson, we will make a significant leap forward in time and style. We will leave the 17th-century's inward-looking, metaphysical devotion and encounter the work of Phillis Wheatley. Her poetry, written on the cusp of the American Revolution, embraces the polished, public-facing, and classically-inspired forms of neoclassicism.