Anne Bradstreet is own of the earliest treasures to come out of the New World.
Bradstreet’s writings are not only relatable to past and current times, but all people can find their
own meanings to them. Due to her being held to such high standards and achieving them she was
able to produce some of the most amazing writings out of the New World and she still influences
writers today. Her poetry and writing are universal and transcends throughout the ages. She can
still have an impact not only on the elderly but also the people that will read her work in the
future.
Anne Bradstreet was one of the first accomplished writers of the New World. Not only
was she one of the first writers, she was one of the first female writers to
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“Although she draws heavily
on Sylvester's translation of du Bartas and Helkiah Crooke's anatomical
treatise Microcosmographia (1615), Bradstreet's interpretation of their images is often strikingly
dramatic. Sometimes she uses material from her own life in these historical and philosophical
discourses. For example, in her description of the earliest age of man, infancy, she forcefully
describes the illnesses that assailed her and her children.(Poetry Foundation)”
Bradstreet lived in an age where women were not treated as equal to men. Some may
say that situation is still current today with woman only making 70-80% of what men make in
the working world and women still being viewed as the primary domestic caretakers. With
Bradstreet living in situations that were more prevalent than today, she still had the courage to
write about these in a way that made her point but didn’t mark her as one who should be
disregarded for their views. This was demonstrated in the first edition of THE TENTH MUSE.
“Another poem in the first edition of The Tenth Muse ... that reveals Bradstreet's personal
feelings is "In Honor of that High and Mighty Princess Queen Elizabeth of Happy
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In a personal caveat underscoring her own dislike of patriarchal
arrogance, Bradstreet points out that women were not always devalued (poetry foundation)”
To be a great writer you have to have the skill and the desire to be a great writer. Most, if
not all of us, don’t just wake up one day and become great composers of any art forms.
Bradstreet is no exception to this rule. Bradstreet surely had a level of natural talent but much of
her talent came from her upbringing and her desire to know more. Granted she wasn’t educated
in a school, she was educated in other ways such as by her father, her extensive reading, and her
never ending dedication to writing.
Bradstreet was not educated in the traditional sense. That was a gift that may women
didn’t receive in her time; instead she gained vast knowledge through her father Thomas Dudley.
“She received an excellent education from her father, who was widely read— Cotton Mather
described Thomas Dudley as a "devourer of books (Poetry Foundation)". Surely through the
education she gained through her father’s knowledge it was reflected in her overall writing.
Due to her father’s career she was able to have an extensive reading list at her
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
In Anne Bradstreet and Mary Rowlandson's generation, women were limited in what they could/could not do. In the 1600s, women were taught to be good wives and mothers along with performing duties in the house. During this time period, most women did not work instead that was the man's duty. They also were raised to portray Puritan values. Bradstreet and Rowlandson both stood out as Puritan women because their works became published in a time in which women were not supposed to write. Both Anne Bradstreet and Mary Rowlandson's status as women played a part in their writing because they both struggled with Puritan/human dichotomy in their works.
Bradstreet was a Puritan and was therefore raised with a simplistic view of the world. This, combined with the fact that she was a woman, carried over into her way of writing. Her writing style was not eloquent but plain, humble, and pleasant to read. Her poems dealt with topics such as faith, family, and adversity and were easy to understand. Bradstreet had great faith which she gained through the experiences she encountered in life.
She writes a letter to husband, almost instructing him on what to do after her death. Unlike other demure housewives of her time, she acknowledges the risk birthing her child brings by saying, “And when thy loss shall be repaid with gains / Look to my little babes, my dear remains” (107). Bradstreet also approaches a taboo subject by acknowledging that her husband might remarry. Bradstreet does not tread lightly on this subject either by writing, “And if thou love thyself, or loved’st me, / These o protect from step Dames injury” (107). In this poem, Bradstreet faces the possibility of not only the loss of her life but the loss of her husband’s love. Bradstreet challenges Puritan beliefs by showing that she will still be concerned with her earthly life after her
...e from her love to the world. Perhaps, she believed that in this love of her, she became God-like and God thus punishes her. Nevertheless, the presence of God in her poems is more than clear. Perhaps, it was due to religious beliefs that she though that it was wrong to feel too strong feelings to world and she considered herself to be a sinner who deserves punishment. Today, there are few followers of Bradstreet, but she, her ideas and her thoughts about sufferings still remain in modern books.
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
Literary Review: An overview of female's education The Enlightenment period started during the long eighteenth century, from 1685 to 1815. The Enlightenment period challenged and opposed societies limited and closed-minded ideals. The Enlightenment Movement was a radical movement, which questioned authority and wanted to change the core thinking of society through rational thought and change. “Enlightened Women: A Discussion on Education, Marriage and the Domestic Sphere in Eighteenth Century Society” states, “with the dawning of the Enlightenment and its emphasis on education, humanism, science, and scholarly discussion, the expectations of women’s learning changed and with it, their roles within the household” (Huff 29).
In the poetry of Bradstreet, one can see her clear individuality. What is more, in her poems the subjectivity of perception significantly reflects in the descriptions of family life and give them warmth and sincerity. For Anne Bradstreet the motives of marital fidelity and love is very crucial. Moreover, the poems, which are addressed to her husband, are full of deep love and respect. A case in point, in the poem “To my dear and loving husband” (Bradstreet 4), one can see that love for Bradstreet is exactly the marital love.
Bradstreet was famous due to the amount of poetry, as well as other personal writings, that she wrote. Bradstreet uses the love of God to focus on death, which can be seen within her poem, “To Her Father with Some Verses”. Bradstreet says within the poem, “Yet for part payment take this simple mite, Where nothing's to be had, kings lose their right. Such is my debt I may not say forgive, But as I can, I'll pay it while I live; Such is my bond, none can discharge but I, Yet paying is not paid until I die” (9-14).
Virginia Woolf, one of the pioneers of modern feminism, found it appalling that throughout most of history, women did not have a voice. She observed that the patriarchal culture of the world at large made it impossible for a woman to create works of genius. Until recently, women were pigeonholed into roles they did not necessarily enjoy and had no way of
By reading Bradstreet’s work, a fair sense of what Mrs. Bradstreet was like can be grasped. She clearly stated her opinion of those who objected to her writing: “I am obnoxious to each carping tongue, / Who says my hand a needle better fits.” (Bradstreet,“ The Prologue”155). Bradstreet refused to give up her passion for writing even if it meant going against the opinions of anyone in her colony, including religious leaders. Although Bradstreet referred to herself as being obnoxious, her written works portray an entirely different Bradstreet. She seeks no reward or fame for her writing: “Give thyme or parsley wreath, I ask no bays” (155). Bradstreet seeks no reward for her writing because she doesn’t think her work is very good: “My foolish, broken, blemished Muse so sings” (154). She refers to her writing as her: “ill-formed offspring” (“The Author To Her Book”165). Even after her work is published she is ...
”The Prologue,” Bradstreet conveys knowledge of recognizing the kind of patriarchy she lives in, in the fifth and sixth stanza.
When Bradstreet’s next grandchild, Anne, passed away, she was unable to resist it. She lost her control and become disappointed. She wrote a poem under “In Memory of My dear Grandchild Anne Bradstreet, Who Deceased June 20, 1669.”5 The poem starts with the speaker
According to BellaOnline, Bradstreet was, “married to the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony and had eight children.” Even though her marriage might have become filled with routines and lost a little passion, the poet never lost the love for her husband. She states that the power of her “.love is such that rivers cannot quench”(Bradstreet, 7). Bradstreet expresses her emotions to be so strong that not even a roaring river can possibly satisfy them. She prizes her husband’s “.love more than whole mines of gold/ Or all the riches that the East doth hold,” (Bradstreet, 5-6) meaning she values his affection more than any amount of money she could obtain.
As Woolf grew older, she was educated by her mother, and eventually a tutor. Due to her father’s position, there were always famous writers over the house interacting with the young Virginia and the Woolf’s large house library. Within her writing, Woolf often appears angry or depressed, which both stems from childhood.... ... middle of paper ...