Quite atypically for a renowned American poet, Anne Bradstreet was an English-born writer who moved to America in 1630 after enduring an arduous journey (“Anne Bradstreet”). Bradstreet was a devoutly religious Puritan, following the precedent of her father and husband, the most prominent men in her life. Her dedicated Puritan beliefs greatly molded her writings. Many of her poems contain references to sin, redemption, and immortality among other recurrent Puritan topics (“Anne Bradstreet”). Anne Bradstreet’s published poetry collections were the first published works of poetry by an English-American (Eberwein 161-163). Anne Bradstreet was a groundbreaking writer as the first English-American poet of her time; her life experiences, Puritan beliefs, and family greatly influenced her writing topics and led her to accomplish international fame through her collection The Tenth Muse.
While there is no exact date or record of Anne Bradstreet’s birth, it is known she was born in either 1612 or 1613. There is also strong speculation that her birthdate was March 20th due to Bradstreet’s reference to the date on multiple occasions (White 39-40). Born as Anne Dudley to Thomas Dudley and Dorothy Yorke, she grew up in a fairly privileged life (White 37). Thomas Dudley worked as a steward for the Earl of Lincoln. Anne and her family were able to live with the Earl during her childhood until she moved to America (“Anne Bradstreet”). Bradstreet received no formal education, however as The Poetry Foundation reports, “...she received an excellent education from her father, who was widely read... and from her extensive reading in the well-stocked library of the estate of the Earl of Lincoln...” (“Anne Bradstreet”). Her father’s occupation gave her ...
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...Bradstreet’s achievements stemmed from her life experiences, family, and religion: the three topics she knew best.
Works Cited
Anderson, Robert, et al. “Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672)” Elements of Literature: Literature of the United States. 2nd ed.Orlando, FL: Holt, Rhinehart, and Winston, 1993. 42. Print.
“Anne Bradstreet.” The Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, 2013. Web. 10 November 2013.
Eberwein, Jane Donahue. “Anne Bradstreet (c. 1612-1672).” Legacy 11.2 (1994): 161-169. Web. 10 November 2013.
Emerson, Everett. Major Writers of Early American Literature. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 1972. Print.
Gordon, Charlotte. Mistress Bradstreet: The Untold Life of America's First Poet. New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2005. Print.
White, Elizabeth Wade. Anne Bradstreet, "The Tenth Muse." New York: Oxford University Press, 1971. Print.
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
Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan and wrote her religious faith about God. When Bradstreet was used to the Puritan culture she felt like God didn’t guide her through her struggles and she started to questioned God existence and as a Puritan’s religious belief was to always accept God. The letter, “To My Dear Children” was from Bradstreet to her children about her relationship with God. The summary of the letter is Bradstreet accepted the Puritan culture when she was about sixteen years old coming to America. After she was married she started to observe God and questioned him because she felt sickness and pain and hoped God would lift her up the light on her. Bradstreet also questions her afterlife with a quote, “And could I have been in heaven without the love of God, it would had been hell to me, for in truth it is the absence and presence of God that makes heaven or hell.” This quote can be pertained in today’s world because it’s
During the 1600s, the poetry published was by men. Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan woman who was the
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.
Although Anne Bradstreet appeared to be the ideal Puritanical housewife, she faced many hardships throughout her lifetime. She faced death often, either due to disease or childbirth. These hardships led Bradstreet
The components of marriage, family and loss has played a big role in Anne Bradstreet’s writing of “Before the birth of One of Her Children”, “In Memory of Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet”, and Edward Taylor’s “Upon Wedlock and the Death of Children.” In, these writings both authors Puritan culture and their faith plays a big role. In these poems one author starts questioning their God and the other to take honor in their God throughout their grieving process, while both showing different aspects of their everlasting union with their spouse, and the love for their children.
Anne Bradstreet, whom most critics consider America’s first “authentic poet”, was born and raised as a Puritan. Bradstreet married her husband Simon at the tender age of eighteen. She wrote her poems while rearing eight children and performing other domestic duties. In her poem “Upon The Burning Of Our House, July 10th, 1666”, Bradstreet tells of three valuable lessons she learned from the fire that destroyed her home.
Anne Bradstreet was born into a very privileged life, she was the daughter of a wealthy man who believed that she should receive an education. She married at age sixteen, and in 1630 she embarks to America on a perilous journey to "escape the
Anne Bradstreet's poem, The Author to her Book, is a twenty-four-line metaphor comparing the relationship of an author and her writings to the relationship between a parent and a child. The meaning of this lighthearted poem can clearly be seen as she traces the growth of a piece of work to the growth of the child. The significance of the poem, however, lies in the fact that this poem is a glimpse of the emotions felt by Anne Bradstreet an American female poet, and how it conflicts with the puritan society that frowns upon her appreciation of her talents and role as a poet. To clearly see all aspects that surround the interpretation of her poetry it is necessary to look at biographical information surrounding the life of Anne Bradstreet. Background knowledge gained previous to writing this annotation can be found at http://shenessex.heartland.net/local/scs/shs/faculty/dickerson/term197class/Jill/Bradstreet.html
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
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.
Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor are two of the most recognizable poets from early American History; they were also both American Puritans, who changed the world with their poetry. We can see many similarities in their poetry when it comes to the importance of religion and also on having children and losing children. There are however differences in the audience of their poetry and their personal views on marriage. Bradstreet and Taylor both came over to America in the 17th century and settled in New England. Though Taylor came years later we can see the similarities through their poetry.
Bradstreet, Anne. “The Prologue”, “The Author to Her Book”, “Before The Birth Of One Of
”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