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To begin with, it is important to know that the title is essentially a synonym for “housekeeping.


The allegory is dependent upon the symbolism of the spinning wheel and the speaker’s cry to
become one for God. Thus situated, the staff around which the wool is wound represents the holy
word of God, the element which twists the fibers into yarn is the religious conviction of the
speaker and the spool his soul. The loom which weaves the thread into cloth serves as the symbol
for the ministry of God’s word.
In Edward Taylor's conceit, "Huswifery", a man describes his longing to be closer to God, and to
be used as a vessel to further the Lord's kingdom. Taylor describes the many ways he would like
to be used by God as well as going into detail as to how he wants to be used. Taylor starts by
writing about how he would like God to be the master spinner behind his "spinning wheel"
which signifies his desire for the Lord to take over his life and to use his life to further His
kingdom. Taylor then goes on explain this idea by integrating many of the parts of a spinning
wheel into the analogy. The audience of his conceit is God, which is shown by the fact that it is a
letter to God. The occasion seems to be that he may have just had a turning point in his life
where he realized that he needed to recommit his life to God.
The type of diction used by Edward Taylor in "Huswifery" could be classified as very thorough.
Taylor goes out of his way to describe each aspect of a spinning wheel, and how he can fit his
life into each piece. The symbolism of the spinning wheel shows how God can take each piece of
our life and change it for His good. Throughout the poem, Taylor goes from being fabric to be
used on the spinning wheel to being the finished product. This represents the complete change
from selfishness to servant hood.

The main theme found in "Huswifery" is desperation. Taylor apparently has decided that he is
going to stop living life for his own desire, but instead give it to God to be worked through. His
purpose in writing the poem was to be a letter to God, a written form of prayer.

In conclusion, I view this poem as being a very touching way of Taylor communicating his
extreme desire to become more intimate with God. I believe his analogy of the spinning wheel
was a very effective way to communicate his point, and it shows that he put deep thought into his
choice to change.

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