What I’m [trying to] read
Anne Bradstreet: A Guided Tour of the Life and Thought of a Puritan Poet by Heidi L. Nichols
My nana gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card for my birthday a few months ago. I had seen this book linked on Girl Talk, and I bought it since both poetry and the Puritans interest me. So far I’ve read the introduction and the first several sections of poetry. The biographical information is dense at times, and the poems I’ve read are Bradstreet’s more formal, “epic” works, so it hasn’t been easy reading.
But I love Nichols’ guidance, since it comes from the perspective of one who shares the poet’s faith in a sovereign and saving God. I look forward to reading the more personal poetry in the rest of the book. This excerpt speaks about the role Anne’s writing played in her spiritual life:
Perhaps the most popular use of writing and poetry among the Puritans, practiced with varying degrees of literary finesse, was a very personal one — that of facilitating meditation and introspection… Using her writing as a type of spiritual exercise or journal, she expresses the thoughts of her soul, confessing her foibles, giving voice to her desires, and declaring her aspirations for spiritual growth. Whereas her fellow Puritan John Milton wrote Paradise Lost in order to “justify the ways of God to man,” Bradstreet wrote much of her personal work in order to reconcile herself to God and to work out the doctrines of her faith in everyday life. (53)
Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother by Carolyn Mahaney
My mother gave me this book for Christmas, and since I am soon to be a wife myself, I know I need as much instruction as I can get in this area. Carolyn bases her teaching on the model set for women in Titus 2. She writes about love for one’s husband and children, self-control, purity, working at home, kindness, and submission. She’s very honest, humble, and down-to-earth, and I have enjoyed what I’ve read so far.
In the midst of a new season of life, it’s been challenging to read as much as I used to, but I want to continue working at it!
It’s funny that you chose to read Carolyn Mahaney’s book – I’ve been recently listening to her sermon series based on the same topic. It’s called “To Teach What Is Good” if you have an interest in supplementing what you read with an audio version.
The Excellent Wife and the Titus 2 Woman are also excellent books to read written by Martha Peace.