Huswifery

Huswifery

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.

Edward Taylor

The speaker of Huswifery offers himself to God. He wishes for himself to be a spinning wheel, on which God to spin. He also wishes to be a loome, each of things that make him to be components. On the loome he wishes for God to spin cloth. In the end the speaker state he wishes to wear the robes spun by God in order to show that he is truly devout.

The speaker truly wants to show his love for God and offers himself to form the components to do this. The speaker wants so much to show his love for God that he wishes to make clothes to show it. Instead of asking to be handed these clothes he truly wants to have clothes to show that he alone is truly devout. The speaker is truly devout and wishes to be close to God above all.

Diary:

I have never considered myself a "religious" or "spiritual" person, though I do believe in the ideals posed in the Bible. I don't try to claim a reward for my actions, but I think that everyone should lead a moral and ethical life, and the Bible outlines what that is rather well. The Ten Commandments are a good example. Even though I'm not pious, or even devout at all, I truly believe those who live a good life do deserve to be rewarded, in some way or other.

Essential Question:

The American Dream of a better life, though in a different respect, inspires Edward Taylor to pursue his religious believes and that by doing so he will be rewarded by God. This dream inspires hope for him to show his devoutness.