Puritan Legacies: Paradise Lost and the New England Tradition, 1630-1890Using "Paradise Lost" as a touchstone first to the English Revolution and second to the way that revolution was transferred to America, Stavely convincingly argues that the "structure of feeling" embodied in the poem persists through three centuries ofAmerican culture. His discussion of Puritan radicalism in New England and, more importantly, his detailed case studies of Marlborough and Westborough, Massachusetts, which he investigates and understands by constant reference to Milton's great poem, display his strong gifts as both literary critic and intellectual historian. Puritan Legacies is a challenging example of the "New Historicism" we have so long needed. |
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Puritan Legacies: Paradise Lost and the New England Tradition, 1630-1890 Keith W. Stavely No preview available - 1990 |
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Adam Adam's American Andrews authority Awakening become beginning Book Boston Breck bring brought called Cambridge capitalism capitalist century Christian church Colonial continued course culture divine early ecclesiastical emergence England English entire equal established Eve's evidence experience expressed fact faith fall feeling force fully hand Hill human industrial insisted intellectual John labor late later less Library light literary live manner Marlborough Mass Massachusetts means meeting Milton mind minister moral Morse nature never nineteenth-century Paradise Lost Parkman particular perhaps political possible present Protestant Protestant ethic Puritan Quakers question radical reality reason reform relations remain response result rhetorical Satan secularized seems seen sense situation social society spiritual structure things thou thought tion town tradition turn University Press Westborough York