COVE

The image above is the arrest warrant for Giles Corey, a resident of Salem, Massachusetts. Corey was convicted of witchcraft and a warrant for his arrest was placed on April 18th, 1692 (“SWP No. 037”). Corey, however, showed extreme devotion and perseverance towards his family. When arrested, Corey pleaded “not guilty” in an attempt to save his land and money for his family despite the grueling consequences (Snyder). A “not guilty” plea resulted in a brutal punishment called pressing; pressing consists of the stripping of clothes, then stones would be placed on top of your body, bit by bit, until you were eventually crushed (Snyder). Thus, showing his strong will, perseverance to struggle through pain and death for his family, and dedication towards his loved ones. A poem which hints upon perseverance is “A Psalm of Life”, written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poem states “Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant! Let the dead Past bury its dead! Act,— act in the living Present! Heart within, and God o’erhead!” (Longfellow). This portion of the poem encourages resilience by urging its readers to focus on the present moment instead of whatever troubles happened in the past. Corey is a prime example of resilience, although it may not be in the form of focusing on the present, it is for his perseverance through struggles for his family; however, Corey went through an extreme amount of pain and suffering in order to give his family a home, land, and even money to continue to survive. Wordsworth also states “"Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate;” (Wordsworth). These lines explain the importance of facing any sort of fear or adversity with courage, just as Corey did. The people of Salem were forced to face adversity during the trials; however, many handled it in different ways. Some confessed in order to live, while some became an accuser and a part of the problem. Nevertheless, very few handled it quite as well as Corey did.

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. “A Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44644/a-psalm-of-life. Accessed 5 May 2024.

Snyder, Heather. “Giles Corey by Heather Snyder.” Salem Witch Trials: Giles Corey, 2001, salem.lib.virginia.edu/people/gilescorey.html.

“SWP No. 037: Giles Corey Pressed to Death, September 16, 1692.” SWP No. 037: Giles Corey Pressed to Death, September 16, 1692 - New Salem - Pelican, salem.lib.virginia.edu/n37.html. Accessed 5 May 2024.