“HUSWIFERY”- EDWARD TAYLOR

POETRY ANALYSIS

Huswifery(housewifery)- the care and management of a household

In his poem "Huswifery," Taylor gets straight to the human point even in the title, telling us that we are about to read about housework and domesticity

WHY HUSWIFERY?

What an odd thing for a minister to write about; not only household tasks, but tasks typically assigned to women. Wouldn't a minister be occupied with loftier goals?

This is what makes Taylor's poem extraordinary. By asking God to use him as a woman would use a mundane, everyday object (in this case, a spinning wheel), Taylor greatly humbles himself, his metaphors knowing no such gender restrictions.

Make me, O lord, thy Spinning Wheel complete.

The subject of "Huswifery" is Taylor petitioning God to make him a tool of sorts, namely a spinning wheel, then later, a loom (1, 7). Taylor gives an account of each working part of a spinning wheel, each line adding a new layer to his metaphor in order to make him a "Spinning Wheel complete" (my emphasis) (1).

They Holy word my Distaff make for me.

To start, the distaff is what holds the raw wool or flax into place when spinning; Taylor asks God to make His "Holy Word" his own distaff so that he can be guided into the proper places presumably to lead a virtuous life (2).

Make mine Affections thy Swift Flyers neat

The flyers are what regulate the action of the spinning, and Taylor wants God's "Swift Flyers" to regulate and/or temper his own "Affections" and actions (3).

And make my Soul thy holy Spool to be.

On a spinning wheel, the spool twists the yarn into a cord of consistent thickness (or weight"); in asking God to make his soul a "holy spool," Taylor is perhaps asking that his soul be a medium through which God's doctrine is interpreted in a consistent manner (4).

And reel the yarn thereon spun of thy Wheel

The next two lines say, "My conversation make to be Thy Reel / And reel the yarn thereon spun of Thy Wheel" (5-6).

The reel gathers together the finished thread; Taylor wants his own conversation to be God's reel, to hold together the metaphorical thread of God's Word, and through him and his conversation, God can gather together what he has spun on his Taylor-turned-spinning-wheel.

In just six lines, Taylor has effectively equated each way a spinning wheel works with a way in which he can takes God's Word and doctrines, interpret them, and give them back to his congregation in a fashion that is both pleasing to God and understandable by his parishioners.

"Make me Thy Loom then, knit therein this Twine" The complicated

metaphor doesn't end there. Now that he has transformed God's Word into yarn, Taylor wants to weave it into cloth by asking, "Make me Thy Loom then, knit therein this Twine" (7).

And make thy Holy Spirit, Lord, wind quills:

As a spool or bobbin guides the thread when sewing or weaving, Taylor entreats God to let the Holy Spirit guide him like "wind quills" during this weaving process (8).

Then weave the Web thyself. The yarn is fine.

However, in line 9, Taylor pulls back just slightly from his man-made metaphor. Even while putting the divine into earthly, understandable terms, he realizes that some things are too delicate for human understanding. "The yarn is fine," he writes, meaning it's too fragile and precious for him (or any person) to handle (9). Taylor gives over to God, asking Him to "weave the Web Thyself" (9).

Then dye the same in Heavenly Colors Choice,/All pinked with Varnished Flowers of Paradise God's decrees

("Ordinances") will then cleanse ("Fulling Mills") the unique cloth that Taylor and God are making together, afterwards dyeing it in "Heavenly Colors Choice" (10-11).

The last stanza is Taylor clothing not only himself in these newly-made "Holy robes," but alsomine Understanding, Will,Affections, Judgment, Conscience, Memory,My Words, and Actions" (13-14).

My ways with glory and thee glorify,

Everything about his person will be filtered through his ecclesiastical wardrobe so that he may always walk "with glory and [] glorify [God] (16).

Then mine apparel shall display before ye/ That I am Clothed in Holy robes for glory. From the mundane

and humble beginnings of a simple spinning wheel, Taylor spins a magnificent praise of God, ending in "Varnished" glory (12, 18).