Huswifery by: Edward Taylor with Journal

Huswifery
by Edward Taylor
Make me, O Lord, thy Spinning Wheele compleat;

Thy Holy Worde my Distaff make for mee.

Make mine Affections thy Swift Flyers neate,

And make my Soule thy holy Spoole to bee.

My Conversation make to be thy Reele,

And reele the yarn thereon spun of thy Wheele. Make me thy Loome then, knit therein this Twine:

And make thy Holy Spirit, Lord, winde quills:

Then weave the Web thyselfe. The yarn is fine.

Thine Ordinances make my Fulling Mills.

Then dy the same in Heavenly Colours Choice,

All pinkt with Varnish't Flowers of Paradise.
Then cloath therewith mine Understanding, Will,

Affections, Judgment, Conscience, Memory;

My Words and Actions, that their shine may fill

My wayes with glory and thee glorify.

Then mine apparell shall display before yee

That I am Cloathd in Holy robes for glory.

Reflection:

The poem Huswifery is by the author Edward Taylor who expresses the tale of a woman asking God to be granted her desires in order to be premitted be to be in his grace. She asks him to spin her soul through the spinning wheel into whool to make her life beautiful. The woman wishes to be granted these different personalities because she wishes to be given the life of happiness. The author uses alliteration to conveys the message of how this individual must prove to him that he has the right to be apart of his wisdom. I like this poem because of how it compares a spinning wheel to the wheel of fate. I like how it expresses the imagery and I like it that the individual is asking to be greater than he once was, to improve himself in his fight of survival.

Oh glory God, let the sun rise in the sky
Oh glory God, may it shine with all your might
May you shine to help me rise to you
May your bright star help guide me in the night sky
So that I will have the strength to rise from the ground
Oh glory God, let your Rain, your treasure of the sky fall to me
Oh glory God, May your jewels of precious pearls fall from the sky
Letting me grow and spread my petals
With everlasting beauty
In the eyes of all that look upon me
For I maybe a flower for a moment
But, a precious memory for all time

Dear Dairy:

Today I was walking down the road and I notice a blind man by the side of the road. Beside him he had a case open with food and money in it. I walk up to him and ask, “Are you ok sir?” He smiled and said, “I am fine miss, but I would be better if you allow me to tell you a prayer in exchange for something.” I look through my pockets and found an apple that I was carrying with me to give to my teacher for school. I ask him, “Would an apple be all right?” The blind man replied with a smile and nod. He took in a scratchy breath of air and recited the prayer (poem) Huswifery. It was about a human asking God to be given the personality of a noble human being. The poem then talked about a spinning wheel that decided everyone’s fate, and I wish to myself that it could be that easy to pick out ones own fate. When he finished the poem he asked, “How did you like it miss?” I smiled and replied, “It is a nice prayer, it is very spiritual but, it is faked, no one can pick out there fate.” He nodded then looked up to me as if he could see and said, “‘well miss that is true but you can pick out your destiny by picking the road you travel on.’ ‘You can pick your own destiny because it is your own and no else’s.’ ‘Do you see a dream catcher hanging from my case?’” I looked over and there it was hanging from his case, I never noticed it was there before. I reach down and felt it. It was very pretty with eagle feathers hanging from every corner. In the middle was this spiral twin connecting the sides like a wheel which kept spinning within the twin. He smiled and looked down there as if he could see it there still he then said, “‘every piece of string on that dream catcher is connected to each other.’ ‘They make there own destiny, like the people they are all connected and they all are alike in the same way of wishing for the best life.’ ‘They may not pick there fate but, they do pick how they lived there lives.’ ‘Do you understand, now miss?’” I look at the apple then the dream catcher and smiled, “Yes sir, I understand now, this poem is about connecting with God asking to be granted her desire to be given the right to be in his grace.' 'This poem is about beautiful spirtial prayer to God asking to be given the dream that everyone dreams of, happiness Thank you and God Bless You!” I then place the apple in his hands with a smile I waved good bye to the old blind man and left for school. After school on my way back he was gone but his memory remaind inside of me forever.

-Jane

Essential Question Reflection:

The American Dream can be seen as a false hope but, it can also be seen as the only hope left with the spin of the wheel it can be either one. Constantly spinning it's results can lead to destruction of bad luck or the best spark of luck. When the Puritans come across good luck they think that God grace them with his favor. However, when they come across bad luck they say that, the individual has fallen in God's disfavor. The American Dream is a wheel where God is constantly spinning to see which individual will come across his favor or his disfavoring.