Reading Early Epitaphs in Connecticut

In this talk, John Hanson will share some outstanding verses on old stones in Connecticut and discuss their sources, including scripture, hymnody, poetry, and original poetry composed for a particular individual. The talk will consider how eighteenth-century people might have accessed the source texts and incorporated them into their spiritual lives. Hanson will also discuss what these early New Englanders’ very personal choices of memorial verse tell us about their attitudes towards life, death, and eternity.