The Crucible

Going into the Crucible, I thought it was just going to be a random story about the Salem witch trials.  Girl does something bad, town blames her for being a witch, she goes through dumb tests, fails, and they hang her.  Story told.  But in the Crucible it goes into detail about one specific story.  I found it very interesting that everyone was so quick to blame one another for being bewitched.  Just because someone was dancing it made her a witch?  There are so many signs that these people probably should have seen going through this.  Who came up with these 'witch tests'?  How do you determine that someone is bewitched?  Anyway, it was even weirder that since Betty was passed out through most of act one, no one suspected her at all.  Even when she mysteriously woke up and joined right in on the conversation.  In class we talked about how she faked fainting so she wouldn't be accused.  Couldn't more people have just pretended to faint to save themselves?  Anyway, in act one everyone found it so easy to blame other people and get defensive about their side of the story.  I think whoever started calling people witches just did it to start some drama and see how many people would take him/her seriously.  Obviously, they got what they were looking for. 

Poem by Anne Bradstreet

By night when others soundly slept
And hath at once both ease and Rest,
My waking eyes were open kept
And so to lie I found it best.


I sought him whom my Soul did Love,
With tears I sought him earnestly.
He bow'd his ear down from Above.
In vain I did not seek or cry.


My hungry Soul he fill'd with Good;
He in his Bottle put my tears,
My smarting wounds washt in his blood,
And banisht thence my Doubts and fears.


What to my Saviour shall I give
Who freely hath done this for me?
I'll serve him here whilst I shall live
And Loue him to Eternity.

(http://www.annebradstreet.com/by_night_when_others_soundly_slept.htm)


I'm not really sure how to do this assignment, so I figured I'd just pick one of Anne Bradsteet's poems and write what it's about and a reflection about it.  This poem is about a woman who cannot sleep because she keeps thinking of her husband...but he is dead.  Everyone else is asleep and she can't bear to fall asleep without him.  He is looking down at her from Heaven and she trys her best not to cry.  She puts faith in her Savior and vows to love him for eternity.  Unlike some poems, this one seems very vague the first time you read it but then when you actually think about what it's saying, it makes sense and you just start to picture it going on in your head.  Anne does an amazing job telling a storyin this poem.  I could picture the whole story while I was reading it.  This poem starts out sad, but it ends with true love and her never letting go or forgetting.  I really like this poem because i think it tells a story and puts a picture in my head without flat out telling me.  It makes me think.