Edward Taylor

The central idea in Edward Taylor's poem "Upon a Wasp Chilled with Cold" is the condition of the human soul without God's love and the hope for revival through divine grace. The conceit in the poem...

In Edward Taylor's "Upon a Spider Catching a Fly," the spider symbolizes the devil and the web represents sin and temptation. The wasp and fly depict two types of people: the wasp resists sin but is...

The conceit in Edward Taylor's "Upon a Spider Catching a Fly" is the comparison of a Christian to a wasp. This unusual analogy highlights how Christians should be harsh and defensive against evil,...

When he likens his heart to a tinder box in "The Ebb and Flow," the speaker in Edward Taylor’s poem is beginning to tell God about his changing ability to accept His spirit. The speaker tells the...

In "Meditation 1.30," Edward Taylor employs a metaphysical conceit, an extended metaphor, to explore themes of human fallenness and divine grace. This conceit aligns with Calvinist theology,...

In "Upon a Wasp Chilled with Cold," the wasp is described using human features such as being dressed in petticoats and a satin jacket, having gendered references as "she," and exhibiting human-like...

Edward Taylor's poetry blends Puritan and Metaphysical elements by using complex syntax, conceits, and direct address to God, typical of Metaphysical poets like John Donne. As a Puritan, Taylor's...

In "On My Dear Grandchild Simon Bradstreet," Anne Bradstreet uses imagery like "gone," "asleep," and "cropt" to convey loss, symbolizing the child's death as a flower taken by God. Similarly, in...

In "Meditation Six," Taylor asks God to "count me o'er thyself" as part of a conceit where the soul is likened to God's gold. The speaker desires to be truly refined and valuable, not merely...