Gods Forgiveness in Taylors Meditation 42 Essay -- Edward Taylor Poe

In Edward Taylors Meditation 42, the loudspeaker system employs a tone of some(prenominal) want and anxiousness in order to convey the overall desire that mans sinful nature and spiritual unworthiness require graven images grace and forgiveness to gain entrance to the kingdom of heaven. In the open up stanza, the speaker describes the human crave and longing for material objects. From the very first word of Meditation 42, a sense of longing and desire infuses the poem as apples (ll. 1) often symbolize both temptation and desire. Because Eve allowed the lure of attaining the divinity fudges knowledge to overtake her in the book of Genesis, she bites from a fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which is usually depicted as an apple. In addition, because the apples allude to mans fall from paradise they thereby represent mans imperfection and sinful nature. Furthermore, the fact that apples of gold in silver pictures shrined (ll. 1) emphasizes the desire or lust for physical, material items of beauty and wealth. These items enchant (ll. 2) as the gold and silver appeal to mankinds covetous nature and tendency to value superficial items. Thus, the speaker conveys his longing and desire for physical riches which enchant him. Yet his want for treasures exist as strictly human desire, causing physical consequences as they fill mouths to water (ll. 2). However, despite the monetary value of precious metals, attaining such superficial items does not allow man to gain any true fulfillment. For example, in the opening stanza, all the treasures In jasper cask, when tapped, doth briskly vapor (ll. 4). The material items mean nothing in the larger scheme of the world and therefore briskly vapor and disapp... ..., provided still pleads for God to take me in (ll. 41), and promises to pay...in happiness for mercy. Once again, the speaker demonstrates the same desires for physical treasures that he expresses in the first s tanza as he asks God to give mine eye / A peephole there to see bright glorys chases (ll. 39-40). Even in the Gods kingdom, the speaker reveals his humanity as he focuses on ornamentation which starkly contrasts with Gods divinity as He has the ability to show love even for sinners. Thus, while man shows his human nature, desiring and coveting physical riches and treasures, God demonstrates his truly divine nature as he possesses true spiritual riches, in the form of love, mercy, and forgiveness.Works CitedTaylor, Edward. Meditation 42. The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Lautier. parvenue York Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004