Huswifery Lit. Response

Markeia Scruggs
September 9, 2009
2 pg. Lit Response
Huswifery, which is defined as the business of a housewife, was written by Edward Taylor to tell of his faith in God. The title automatically attempts to give away the meaning of the poem, but not exactly. Taylor used insignificant objects, which is what Puritans did to show their unyielding respect for God, to explain how he wants God to use him. These objects are swift flyers, a spool, and a reel, whose importance is explained using extraordinary metaphors. All these objects are important to the completion of the Spinning Wheel, both spiritually and physically.
Because flyers are used to control the actions of the spinning wheel, Taylor asks for swift flyers to control his Affections and actions. The text states, “Make mine Affections thy Swift Flyers neate.” He puts heavy emphasis on the words affections and swift flyers by capitalizing them. By doing that he creates an image of neat swift flyers in relation to his actions being neat also. Taylor is pleading for God to guide him mentally and spiritually in order to make the right decisions.
Taylor writes, “And make my Soule thy holy Spoole to bee.” He asks God to make his soul be a channel through which God’s word is interpreted consistently. Taylor puts emphasis on spool, again by using capitalization. A spool’s contribution to a spinning wheel is that it twists the yarn into consistent thickness. This is important for the spinning wheel both spiritually and physically.
The reel is what brings everything together. It is used in the spinning wheel to gather the finished thread. Taylor uses the reel to keep God’s word, thread, together. He writes, “My Conversation make to be thy Reele.” This reel is the most important part of the spinning wheel because it brings and keeps everything together.
Through what we would now call an ornate poem, but was viewed as plain, Edward Taylor explains how he wants God to transform him into a spinning wheel spiritually. Because of Puritanism, he uses simple a simple spinning wheel, but transforms it into a very meaningful metaphor of God’s glory. He creates the picture of himself as a spiritual spinning wheel by using insignificant words that have extremely significant purposes. By combining all the minute parts, he produces a spiritual spinning wheel.