Author's Lives: Anne Bradstreet

678 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Immigration in the early 1900s

Many things in life can be inspiring. These events can lead people to leave everlasting impacts on others. Sometimes, these things can even drive people to achieve greatness. This was the case in many authors’ lives, including Anne Bradstreet. Anne Bradstreet’s immigration to America, Puritan faith, distinctive views, and family were the causes of her success in writing.
Anne Bradstreet was born Anne Dudley in 1612 in Northamptonshire, England. (Poets, 1) She married Simon Bradstreet, 25, at the age of 16 in 1628. (Kort, 31) During this time, many were fleeing England to America for religious freedoms. Two years after marriage, in 1630, Simon and Anne did the same. (Kort, 31) The young family settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts. (Poets, 1) This is where her writing journey began. Bradstreet was the first major American poet. (Kort, 31)
The Bradstreets were part of a Puritan community who believed in the education of women and encouraged her to study and write poetry. (Kort, 31) This was a very rare thing. Writing was considered unladylike during her time. (Wiggins, 75) Also, it was frowned upon for women to pursue education. (Biography, 2) Anne went against this stereotype. “Anne was a well educated woman.” (Biography, 1)
Like many colonists, Anne’s faith was very much a part of her life. Her parents were strong Puritans. (Kort, 31) This aspect of her life also impacted her writing. Because of her Puritan modesty, she wrote in private. (Kort, 31) Also, some of her poetry reflects the Puritans’ knowledge of the Bible. (Wiggins, 75)
Even though she accepted the Puritan creed and her role as a woman, she had a feisty spirit. (Kort, 32) However, Bradstreet was not like most other women of her time. Brads...

... middle of paper ...

...ddition to literature. Bradstreet continues to serve as a positive and inspiring role model for people today. (Biography, 1)
Overall Bradstreet’s achievement in literature can be attributed to her immigration to America, Puritan faith, distinctive views, and family. Her works were an inspiration to women back then, and still serve that purpose today. She allowed her struggles to inspire her instead of bring her down. This is a quality of an amazing writer, woman and American.

Works Cited
Kort, Carol. A to Z of American Women Writers. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 2007. Print
"Anne Bradstreet." Anne Bradstreet. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
"Anne Bradstreet." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.

“Anne Bradstreet”. Ed. Grant Wiggins. Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience. New Jersey; Pearson Education In., 2011. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Biography of Anne Hutchinson

    3755 Words  | 8 Pages

    Anne Hutchinson lived in Alford, England as a housewife and mother after she was married at the age of twenty-one to a man named Will Hutchinson. Anne was drawn to a certain minister named John Cotton who preached fiery sermons that were or...

    Read More

  • How Does Anne Bradstreet Need To Be Weaned Affections?

    1277 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anne Bradstreet’s inability to perfect her work before it was released frustrated her to the point where she internalizes the book’s imperfections as a reflection of herself. Bradstreet uses an extended metaphor of a mother and a child to compare the relationship between herself as the author and her book. Rather than investing her spirit in God, she repeatedly focuses on trying to improve the quality of her writing with no success, “I washed thy face, but more defects I saw” (Bradstreet 13). Like a mother protecting her child, Bradstreet’s attempts to prevent critics from negatively analyzing her work of art (20). Her continuous obsession about people’s opinions consumed in the Earthly world and essentially distracted her from developing a spiritual relationship with God. Bradstreet was enveloped by her dissatisfaction with her to the point of ridiculing herself, “Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble mind” (1). It was obvious that her mind and spiritual

    Read More

  • Anne Bradstreet's Poem

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first part in this poem, "If ever two were one" (1) sets us with expectations to continue with the reading. These words show that Bradstreet and her husband were really in love, that this love could unite two persons and make them one. Bradstreet and her husband think, act, and feel much like they are part of each other. The tone of this poem tells us that she is a very religious, because she speaks of praying and the heavens. We get the impression that she is a very dedicated person, to her family and to God. She...

    Read More

  • Anne Bradstreet

    767 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anne Bradstreet is seen as a true poetic writer for the seventeenth century. She exhibits a strong Puritan voice and is one of the first notable poets to write English verse in the American colonies. Bradstreet’s work symbolizes both her Puritan and feminine ideals and appeals to a wide audience of readers. American Puritan culture was basically unstable, with various inchoate formations of social, political, and religious powers competing publicly. Her thoughts are usually on the reality surrounding her or images from the Bible. Bradstreet’s writing is that of her personal and Puritan life. Anne Bradstreet’s individualism lies in her choice of material rather than in her style.

    Read More

  • Anne Bradstreet Analysis Essay

    1305 Words  | 3 Pages

    It dictated most of her way of living. She writes about her many struggles between her “flesh” and “the Spirit”. She is honest about sometimes feeling inadequate and wanting to digress away from God’sS way. She includes a constant tension between her selfish thoughts and what she know is the best path. It is not so much a battle between personal beliefs and what one is expected to do. Rather it is a battle between what one is doing and what one already knows is the best route in thinking and living. Bradstreet’s family moved from England to the New England in order to follow this movement of Puritans creating a new life in accordance to the church (White, p.103). So she was well aware of Christian principles and very familiar with the Bible. In Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House she talks mostly about the many vanities of this world and that one should focus on things that are eternal. She

    Read More

  • Essay Comparing Anne Bradstreet And Phillis Wheatley

    486 Words  | 1 Pages

    Bradstreet tested the boundaries of the Puritan beliefs and chose to write about life as a wife and mother. The love for her husband was more important than what others thought of her. She was proud of their relationship and stated, “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold, or all the riches that the East doth hold. My love is such that rivers cannot quench, Nor ought but love from thee give recompense” a verse from her poem titled To My Dear and Loving Husband (226). Her poems stood as a movement for all radical feminists that admired Bradstreet and her confidence to express her opinions publicly. Religion was a common topic throughout Bradstreet’s poem, but there was a time as

    Read More

  • Anne Bradstreet Biography

    579 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anne Bradstreet was the first American poetess of British origin. She was the first female writer whose poems were published in newly colonized America. Her father, Thomas Dudley, in England worked as steward of Earl of Lincoln. In 1628 Anne married Simon Bradstreet. In 1630 both families moved to America on the ship "Arabella". Voyage lasted for three months. In the New World, her father became governor of Massachusetts Colony, and was subsequently replaced by the husband of Anne.

    Read More

  • Religion as a Gothic Element in American Romanticism

    1697 Words  | 4 Pages

    Bradstreet, Anne. "To My Dear Children." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. New York: Norton & Company, 1999. 144-147.

    Read More

  • Gender Norms in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

    969 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fetterley, Judith. The Resisting Reader: A Feminist Approach to American Literature. Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press, xi-xxiv. Print.

    Read More

  • Anne Bradstreet To My Dear Loving Husband Analysis

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    After almost four decades ago Anne Bradstreet wrote her two now famous poems “To My Dear Loving Husband” and “Upon the Burning of Our House”. Today, we recognize these poems as one of the first women’s writing to be published. Although today we admire Anne Bradstreet’s poems four decades ago people did not have the same opinion. With the Puritans strongly disapproving of women writers think that at one point the Puritan community found Anne Bradstreet’s poems praise worthy because in her poems and writing she shows over and over how she loves her husband and how she loves God even after he was responsible for burning down her house and all of her possessions. Puritans would give Anne Bradstreet’s poems praise for example, “I prize thy love

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Jonathan Edwards And Anne Bradstreet

    1340 Words  | 3 Pages

    Unlike Jonathan Edwards, Anne Bradstreet did not write to preach or teach. She wrote on a personal level about such things as the birth and the death of both her own children and her grad children. She also wrote about her own illnesses and misfortunes. Bradstreet and Edwards both wrote mainly about God, but Edwards wrote about God 's power and strength while Bradstreet focused on God 's mercy and everlasting grace. Bradstreet writings are based primarily on her religion her children, and her husband. When Bradstreet wrote about her husband and how much they are in love she was not only saying how much

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Anne Bradstreet And Edward Taylor

    1298 Words  | 3 Pages

    God; whereas Taylor wrote solely on his love for God. Bradstreet was a pioneer in the idea of writing about loving your husband and self. This was one of her greatest achievements and also greatest gifts to the world, even though it was not appropriate to write about such subjects she did anyway. The combination of Bradstreet and Taylors poetry about love prove to the world that love can exist in any part of life and should be appreciated and

    Read More

  • Anne Bradstreet's Contribution to American Literature

    992 Words  | 2 Pages

    Up until the early 17th century, American literature was chiefly about politics, religion, and recorded events. These writings were very dry and lacked insight into the everyday lives of the authors. To put into writing any individual spiritual reflections that strayed away from the religion of the colony could be dangerous at that time; possibly resulting in banishment from the colony or worse. Likewise, any writing that did not serve at least one of the purposes listed above was considered to be a waste of time that would be better spent praising God. Anne Bradstreet defied the rules of her time by writing about whatever she wanted including personal thoughts, reflections, emotions, and events. Bradstreet was the first to write about personal matters, which is her greatest literary contribution in early American literature.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of In Memory Of My Dear Grandchild Anne Bradstreet

    1349 Words  | 3 Pages

    She caught severe disease after only two years of arriving in America. Her sickness and expectation of death strengthened her faith and made her consider each day as being her last day. After she recovered from her sickness, she believed that to be blessing. Her sickness became a turning point and self realization for Bradstreet. She built a strong foundation for her faith as a Puritan woman and overcame all her doubts about the existence of God and started to seek salvation from God. When her husband was a way for business, she missed him because of her true and deep love for him. Yet his absent and severe physical and emotional feeling created inner conflict between worldly desire and spirituality. Her love for her husband competed with her love for God. But by using her writing, she sustained her faith and overcame her physical

    Read More

  • Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own: Women and Fiction

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many female writers see themselves as advocates for other creative females to help find their voice as a woman. Although this may be true, writer Virginia Woolf made her life mission to help women find their voice as a writer, no gender attached. She believed women had the creativity and power to write, not better than men, but as equals. Yet throughout history, women have been neglected in a sense, and Woolf attempted to find them. In her essay, A Room of One’s Own, she focuses on what is meant by connecting the terms, women and fiction. Woolf divided this thought into three categories: what women are like throughout history, women and the fiction they write, and women and the fiction written about them. When one thinks of women and fiction, what they think of; Woolf tried to answer this question through the discovery of the female within literature in her writing.

    Read More

More about Author's Lives: Anne Bradstreet

Open Document