Edward Taylor facts for kids

Edward Taylor (born around 1642 – died June 29, 1729) was an early American poet. He was also a pastor and a doctor. He came from England. His poems were not published for about 200 years. But now, he is known as one of the most important writers of his time. His poetry is sometimes called "American Baroque" or "Metaphysical."

Edward Taylor's Life Story

Edward Taylor was likely born in 1642 in Sketchley, England. His father was a farmer who did not follow the official Church of England. Edward grew up during a time when England was a republic. He became a strong Protestant Dissenter, meaning he disagreed with the official church.

His childhood was spent on the family farm. He had a stable upbringing. Later, his writings often used images from his farm life. He even used some words from his local English dialect.

Early Challenges and Moving to America

Edward's parents died in 1657 and 1658. We don't know much about his formal schooling. For a while, he worked as a school teacher. But when the king returned to power in England, Edward refused to sign a new law. This law required everyone to worship using the official prayer book. Because he refused, he lost his teaching job.

Around this time, he started writing poetry. His poems often expressed his sadness about losing religious freedoms. In 1668, he decided to move to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America.

Life in Colonial America

Edward Taylor kept a diary about his journey across the Atlantic Ocean. He wrote about his first few years in America. Just two weeks after arriving in Boston, he joined Harvard College. He studied many subjects and languages to become a minister.

After graduating in 1671, he wanted to stay at Harvard. But soon after, he accepted a job. He became the pastor and doctor in Westfield, Massachusetts. This was a remote town on the edge of the colony. He stayed there for 58 years until he died.

As a doctor, Taylor followed some older medical ideas. He kept a handwritten record of his remedies. These included plant-based medicines and some animal parts.

Edward Taylor was married twice. First, he married Elizabeth Fitch. They had eight children, but five died young. After Elizabeth passed away, he married Ruth Wyllys. They had six more children. Edward Taylor died in Westfield on June 29, 1729.

Edward Taylor's Poetry

Edward Taylor's poems were kept in leather books he made himself. He told his family not to publish any of his writings. So, his poems were forgotten for over 200 years.

Discovery of His Works

In 1937, a scholar named Thomas H. Johnson found a large collection of Taylor's poems. It was about 7,000 pages long! He found them in the library at Yale University. Johnson then published some of them.

When these poems appeared, people were amazed. A writer named Norman S. Grabo said Taylor became known as "America's finest colonial poet." He was also seen as one of the most striking writers in all of American literature. His most important poems were published soon after their discovery. However, all of his poems were not published until 1960.

Themes and Style of His Poetry

Taylor's poems showed his very strong religious beliefs. He grew up with strict religious teachings. As an adult, his faith was shaped by the Puritans in New England. These Puritans had even stricter rules than those in England.

Taylor worried that people in his church were losing their strong faith. He believed that just saying you believed and living a good life was not enough. To fully join the church, people had to share a personal experience of God's grace. This meant they had to feel sure they were saved. This idea was part of something called the Halfway Covenant of 1662. Taylor strongly supported this idea.

Taylor's poems are full of strong spiritual meaning. He used simple, everyday images from Puritan life. These images helped to show the Christian experience. He wrote his "Meditations" along with his sermons. Each poem explored Bible themes and passages. They showed Taylor's deep understanding of his faith. They also showed his struggles with some of the strict Puritan rules.

His poetry is filled with his love for God. It also shows his dedication to serving his creator, even in his isolated rural life. As one biographer noted, Taylor "transformed [his frontier circumstances] into intellectual, aesthetic, and spiritual universals."

Musical Settings of His Poems

Some of Edward Taylor's poems have been turned into music.

• Gerald Finzi created two musical pieces from Taylor's "Meditations." One was for a wedding in 1946. The other was for a festival in 1951.
• The poem "Huswifery" has also been set to music twice. Richard K. Winslow created a version for chorus and piano in 1950. Later, Gordon Binkerd made an a cappella (singing without instruments) version in 1970. Binkerd also set "The Ebb and Flow" to music in 1966.
• The meditation "What Love Is This" was set as an anthem for chorus and organ by Timothy Hoekman in 1978.