02264cam a22003013u 45000010005000000030007000050050017000120060002000290070005000310080041000360400011000770410017000880500007001051000049001122450025001612640051001863000047002373360026002843370026003103380036003365000031003725080098004035201321005015340045018226530036018678560042019039990017019456442UtSlPG20260610133153.0mcr n260607r2004||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aHolland, J. G.q(Josiah Gilbert),d1819-188110aBitter-Sweet: A Poem 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2004  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2004-09-01  aProduced by D. Garcia, Tom Allen, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team  a"Bitter-Sweet: A Poem" by J. G. Holland is a poetic exploration written in the late 19th century, likely reflecting the philosophical and spiritual questions prevalent during that period. The work delves into themes of faith and doubt, offering a narrative interwoven with personal and familial relationships against the backdrop of seasonal transitions, particularly a Thanksgiving celebration in a Puritan family setting. The main character, Israel, serves as the patriarch whose reflections on suffering, joy, faith, and the acceptance of God's will frame the discourse among the family members.  The opening of "Bitter-Sweet" sets a somber yet contemplative scene during a fierce winter storm, where a Thanksgiving gathering unfolds in an old farmhouse. The narrative introduces Israel and his children, including the spirited Ruth, who challenges traditional beliefs about faith and suffering. Dialogue among characters reveals a tension between the need for belief in a good, just God and the reality of life's hardships, illustrated through personal anecdotes and theological debates. As they navigate their thoughts on joy intertwined with pain, the reader is invited to reflect on the complexity of human emotions and the bittersweet nature of existence itself. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aAmerican poetry -- 19th century40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6442  c48464d48464