Edward Taylor

One thing that I really enjoy about Edward Taylor is the imagery that he used in his poetry.  In certain aspects it is really unique, because it requires that the person reading the poetry must to picture what he is describing and evaluate what that represents rather than just displaying it through descriptive words.  I like the way that Taylor uses his poetry to interact with his faith and affirm his thoughts before sermons.  In contrast with Bradstreets poetry I feel like his was a little dry emotionally just because it didn't have that basis. His poetry told more of the story side of things like in the first poem in the reading in which he spoke of mans fall in the beginning of the bible with Adam and Eve through the life of Jesus. Another difference emotionally in his writings and Bradstreets is the way that they convey their feelings.  It is pretty obvious in most of Taylors writings what he is feeling, but with Bradstreet there is more behind that emotion. Bradstreet didn't state clearly what her emotions were all of the time.

Mary Rowlandson

It is hard to know where to begin with Mary Rowlandson. If I would have been her, after going through what she endured, I probably wouldn't have had the strength to re-address the ordeal in writing. I find it strange that she chooses what names to reveal within her story, and when she chooses to reveal them.  I feel like she makes sure to make note the importance of certain days.  Specifically the sabbath and that she clings to the knowledge that God brings judgement but also brings grace.  With that ideal in mind she remains hopeful that she will again meet her husband and be reunited with the remainder of her children.  I think that the way she all of the sudden talked about the customs and listed several things in the middle threw the story off a little bit.  I don't think that in that since she conveyed her story well, but she did demonstrate some of the political knowledge and observations that she had gathered.  It seems as if there must have been some shift, or certain relationships that had been established while she was held captive when she had almost escaped.  It was either that or the people were merely sucking up to her to gain her favor, so she would send them things like tobacco or bread.  I haven't really decided which one of these ideas are true.  I see how much the idea of predestination in the puritan belief is so strong when she refuses to run away with the Native Americans that offered to escort her back to Lancaster because of that belief that she had stayed in captivity(saying that kind of makes her sound like an animal in a zoo).  I also see that they just wait for their children instead of going to them and being the ones to negotiate and trade for them.  One thing that I do like is the way that she uses what she went through to strengthen her and she doesn't wallow in her suffering.    

Anne Bradstreet

I think I really admire Anne Bradstreet.  Through her writing she conveys herself as a genuine person with struggles.  She isn't afraid to make herself vulnerable, not only in the emotional sense but in the social sense as well.  It is truely amazing the way that she writes with such distinguished ideas about truth, but she doesn't just simply state what she knows to be true she wrestles with it and evaluates based on her own perspective.  I think that it was right of Anne to accept that she couldn't simply accept the ideas told to her without evaluating them from an emotional stand point.  She speaks about this in her letter to her children.  It wasn't just through the words that lay on a page in the bible that made her relationship with God real. It was the interaction through prayer, struggle, reading the word, seeing God do things in her life,  and the creation that he God made that makes her faith truly faithful.
For me the poem that really struck me was the one that she wrote in memory of one of her grandchildren.  She describes the idea of a really painful realease in the beginning of this poem, but as it continues she gains a subtle peace.  That  brings me to the other thing that I really enjoy about her poems.  It is because there is an array of emotions as I read it is almost like I am embarking on some sort of journey.  In short I think Anne Bradstreet was a very powerful and genuine women who dealt with what she felt and believed through her poetry.

John Smith and John Winthrop

John Smith seemed to be somewhat of a practical man.  Although this is true, I don't know if I would say that I see him to be that great of a figure.  For the most part I think he shared the common view in that time, which was to spread knowledge and educate eachother  on the basis of hardwork.  During his time with the native americans I can see that they really did take them for granted by calling them savages.  They couldn't see the intelligence they had as far as social interactions went with people like John Smith.  Trading things to gain things.  John Smith on the other hand wasn't necessarily a city man himself he could maneuver the wilderness pretty well for experiencing such new surroundings. 
The thing that I find interesting about John Winthrop who seems to be on the opposite side of the spectrum.  Like John Smith, Winthrop took God into account, but he did not thirst for adventure the way that Smith had.  Winthrop makes very strong arguements about what he believes makes up a good community and how that community should work.  He also speaks about equality and how no poor man is beneath or above a rich man, but then he incorporates that aspect of predestination.  John Smith, however believed that the intention of coming to a new world was to improve the life that people had and to challenge them to do this through the aspect of hardwork.  John Smith's emphasized the importance of individual work, while in contrast Winthrop emphasized the need for a community to work together based on moral code in the bible.  We still see these two ideas constantly conflicting with one another in our daily lives as a country and as individuals.  Some examples of our struggle with these two idead of our country include our education system, economy, and even this struggle of the individual and the family.