Conflict between Good and Evil in Bradstreet’s The Flesh...

Conflict between Good and Evil in Bradstreet’s The Flesh and the Spirit A colonial Puritan minister, Thomas Shepard, nicely summarized the paradox of the Puritan religion when he noted that â€Å"The greatest part of Christian grace lies in mourning the want of it.† Shepard suggests, in this passage, that good Christians should spend their days, indeed their entire lives, exploring and proclaiming their own depravity and sinfulness, their â€Å"want† of Christian grace. Paradoxically, only this kind of a life could lead, ultimately, to the possibile attainment of God’s grace and thus entrance into heaven. For the Puritans, such a formula posed a never-ending, internal conflict: good Christians who hope for grace can never believe†¦show more content†¦The opening lines of â€Å"The Flesh and the Spirit† set up the psychological dimensions of the poem, suggesting that the dialogue that follows exists in the narrator’s mind. The narrator notes: In secret place where once I stood Close by by the banks of Lacrim flood, I heard two sisters reason on Things that are past and things to come . . . . (302) The reference to â€Å"Lacrim flood† suggests that this â€Å"secret place† is one of mourning, where the narrator experiences a great deal of grief. The â€Å"two sisters† that the narrator overhears represent the two aspects of the Puritan self: the first, called â€Å"flesh,† â€Å"had her eye / On worldly wealth and vanity† and thus respresents the sinful, wicked side; the second, called â€Å"Spirit,† â€Å"did rear / Her thoughts unto a higher sphere† and thus represents the redeemed side. Because the narrator is listening in a â€Å"secret place† and because the ensuing dialogue between Flesh and Spirit is not in quotation marks, the narrative of the poem should be conceived of as occuring in the narrator’s psyche and thus as dramatizing the internal struggle of the Puritan self. The dialogue begins with Flesh chastizing Spirit for her concern with spiritual matters and suggesting that she turn to earthly matters and thus put an end to their struggle. Flesh asks of Spirit: what liv’st thou on, Nothing but meditation? Doth contemplation feed thee so Regardlessly to let earth go? Can speculationShow MoreRelatedLiterary Elements Of The Flesh And The Spirit1472 Words   |  6 PagesLiterary Elements in â€Å"The Flesh and the Spirit† The struggle between â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† is a conflict in which the human race faces. For puritans, the common substance is only a shadow and immediate, while everything in the Heavens is interminable. Puritans weigh on self-control and thoughtfulness to keep their hearts clean so that after their passing they can enter Heaven and be eternal. The battle between the common substance and religious confidence is regularly so warmed that one can not generallyRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesManagement, Fourth Edition I. Management 17 17 2. The Evolution of Management Thought Hughes−Ginnett−Curphy †¢ Leadership, Fifth Edition I. Leadership is a Process, Not a Position 51 51 70 1. Leadership is Everyone’s Business 2. Interaction between the Leader, the Followers the Situation Cohen †¢ Effective Behavior in Organizations, Seventh Edition 11. Leadership: Exerting Influence and Power 94 94 Text Palmer−Dunford−Akin †¢ Managing Organizational Change 2. Images of Managing Change