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Anne Bradstreet (born Anne Dudley; c. 1612 – September 16, 1672) was the first poet and first female writer in the British North American colonies to be published. Her first volume of poetry was The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, published in 1650. It was met with a positive reception in both the Old World and the New World.

Descendants

Descendants of Simon Bradstreet and Anne, daughter of Thomas Dudley and Dorothy Yorke Dudley:

Works

Bradstreet's education gave her advantages that allowed her to write with authority about politics, history, medicine, and theology. Her personal library of books was said to have numbered over 800, although many were destroyed when her home burned down. This event itself inspired a poem entitled "Upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666". She rejects the anger and grief that this worldly tragedy has caused her and instead looks toward God and the assurance of heaven as consolation, saying:

"And when I could no longer look,

I blest His grace that gave and took,

That laid my goods now in the dust.

Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just.

It was his own; it was not mine.

Far be it that I should repine."

As a younger poet, Bradstreet wrote five quaternions, epic poems of four parts each (see works below) that explore the diverse yet complementary natures of their subject. Much of Bradstreet's poetry is based on observation of the world around her, focusing heavily on domestic and religious themes, and was considered by Cotton Mather a momument to her memory beyond the statliest marble. Long considered primarily of historical interest, she won critical acceptance in the 20th century as a writer of enduring verse, particularly for her sequence of religious poems "Contemplations", which was written for her family and not published until the mid-19th century. Bradstreet's work was deeply influenced by the poet Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas, who was favored by 17th-century readers.

Nearly a century later, Martha Wadsworth Brewster, a notable 18th-century American poet and writer, in her principal work, Poems on Diverse Subjects, was influenced and pays homage to Bradstreet's verse.

Despite the traditional attitude toward women of the time, she clearly valued knowledge and intellect; she was a free thinker and some consider her an early feminist; unlike the more radical Anne Hutchinson, however, Bradstreet's feminism does not reflect heterodox, antinomian views. Based on her poems, Bradstreet could also be considered to be a complementarian.

In 1647 Bradstreet's brother-in-law, Rev. John Woodbridge, sailed to England, carrying her manuscript of poetry. Although Anne later said that she did not know Woodbridge was going to publish her manuscript, in her self-deprecatory poem, ""The Author to Her Book"", she wrote Woodbridge a letter while he was in London, indicating her knowledge of the publication plan. Anne had little choice, however— as a woman poet, it was important for her to downplay her ambitions as an author. Otherwise, she would have faced criticism for being "unwomanly." Anne's first work was published in London as "The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, by a Gentlewoman of those Parts"

The purpose of the publication appears to have been an attempt by devout Puritan men (i.e. Thomas Dudley, Simon Bradstreet, John Woodbridge) to show that a godly and educated woman could elevate her position as a wife and mother, without necessarily placing her in competition with men. Very few men of that time agreed with that belief. Mistress Bradstreet endured and ignored much gender bias during her life in the New World.

In 1678 her self-revised Several Poems Compiled with Great Variety of Wit and Learning was posthumously published in America, and included one of her most famous poems, "To My Dear and Loving Husband".

This volume is owned by the Stevens Memorial Library of North Andover and resides in the Houghton Library vault at Harvard.

A quotation from Bradstreet can be found on a plaque at the Bradstreet Gate in Harvard Yard: "I came into this Country, where I found a new World and new manners at which my heart rose." Unfortunately the plaque seems to be based on a misinterpretation; the following sentence is "But after I was convinced it was the way of God, I submitted to it and joined to the church at Boston." This suggests her heart rose up in protest rather than in joy.

In "To My Dear and Loving Husband" by Anne Bradstreet she portrays symbolism, and passion tied into one devout love letter. In the scale of the poem her rhymes and syllables are simple but make it flow so fluidly and smooth. Bradstreet compares her love to something that cannot be compared to, that it is too strong and too powerful to be measured. She begins the poem with three lines that make the reader instantly come to terms that she believes if there is ever a woman that loves her husband unconditionally that it is her. Bradstreet is living purely to love, her purpose in life is to love her husband for eternity. Many considered Bradstreet to be a feminist in her early works. Passion is also the main tone in "To My Dear and Loving Husband," even from the title itself. In the first line Bradstreet writes “If ever two were one, then surely we”.

Role of women

In the Puritan Society in which Bradstreet lived, women, who were seen as inferior, were expected to serve their husbands and homes obediently in all matters, and wives were considered their husband's property. Women were considered dangerous, and therefore needed to be controlled and watched by men. This idea of danger and inferiority stemmed from the Puritan thought that women had a piece of Eve’s impurity and sin within themselves.

Marriage was a big role in the lives of Puritan women. The Puritans believed that marriage is a gift that was ordained by God. In Bradstreet’s poem, “To My Dear and Loving Husband”, she reveals that she is one with her husband. “If ever two were one, then surely we.” She writes about the love that she has for her husband. Since marriage is ordained by God, then it is a gift from God. She loves her gift so much that through the use of her poetry, she is able to express her love for God’s gift to her husband. In another of Bradstreet’s works, “Before the Birth of One of Her Children”, Bradstreet acknowledges God’s gift of marriage. In the lines, “And if I see not half my days that’s due, what nature would, God grant to yours, and you;” Bradstreet is saying that if she was to die soon, what would God give her husband. She could be referring to him possibly re-marrying after she dies. Another line shows that she believes that it is possible for her husband to re-marry. By using the lines, “These O protect from stepdame’s injury”, Bradstreet is calling for her children to be protected from the abuse of a future step mother. The fact that Bradstreet believes that God will grant her husband with a new wife if she dies, shows how much Puritan women believed in marriage and how God provided them with this gift.

Throughout “Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment” Bradstreet states how she feels lost when her husband is not around, and that life is always better when he is around. In Bradstreet’s poems it can be assumed she truly loved her husband and missed him when he was away from her and the family. Oftentimes when it came to the role women played throughout Puritan society it can be assumed the women resented the husbands for they were considered more than the women. In this case, Bradstreet does not resent her husband for leaving her with the family and with all of the household needs; she just misses him and wants him back with her.

The primary roles of women in a Puritan society were to be wives and mothers, and provide the family with their everyday needs. Women were expected to make the clothing for the family, cook the meals, keep the household clean, and teach the children how to live a Puritan lifestyle. All of these tasks alone could keep a woman busy, yet they got it all done, and still would serve their husbands when they arrived home from work. With this being said, Puritan women were hard workers in everything they did, and still managed to keep the household managed for when the husbands arrived home.

Some of Bradstreet’s works also show that the role of Puritan woman was for them to take care of their children. Various works of Bradstreet is dedicated to her own children. In works such as “Before the Birth of One of Her Children” and “In Reference to Her Children”, Bradstreet shows the love that she has for her children, both unborn and born. In Puritan society, children were also gifts from God, and she loved and cared for all of her children just as she loved and cared for her husband. She always believes they too are bound with her to make "one."

Literary style and themes

Intended audience

Anne Bradstreet's works tend to be directed to members of her family and are generally intimate. For instance, in Bradstreet’s “To My Dear and Loving Husband”, the poem’s intended audience is her husband, Simon Bradstreet. The focal point of this poem is the love that she has for her husband. “I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold” To Bradstreet, her husband’s love is worth more than some of the best treasures that this earth has to offer. She also makes it a point to show to her husband that nothing can fill the love that she has for her husband. The lines, “My love is such that rivers cannot quench,” show that not even rivers can satisfy the thirst of that she has for her husband. This poem is something that Bradstreet knows about. She felt it in her heart every day that she was married to her husband. She knows that the love that she has for her husband will always last forever. The last line of the poem says it best. “Then when we live no more, we may live ever.” Even when they are no longer alive on earth, their love for each other will never die.

In “A Letter to Her Husband Absent upon Public Employment” Bradstreet writes a letter to her husband who is away from her working at his job. Bradstreet uses various metaphors to describe her husband. The most visible use of metaphor that Bradstreet uses is comparing her husband to the seasons. When summer is gone, winter soon arrives. Summer can be seen as a time of happiness and warmth. Winter on the other hand can be seen as being gloomy and cold. Bradstreet’s husband is her Sun and when he is with her it is always summer. She is happy and warm from the love that her husband brings when he is around. When her husband is leaves home to work, everything then becomes winter. It is a sad, cold time for Bradstreet and she wishes for her husband to soon return. “Return, return, sweet Sol, from Capricorn.” She wants her husband to know that she needs him and with him everything feels gloomy. She is not concerned with what others think. It is not intended for anyone else accepts her husband. Bradstreet knows that the situation is inevitable though, summer can’t be around always and soon winter will follow. Her husband’s job is important and he can’t be there always and he must also go away at times. “Till nature’s sad decree shall call thee hence.” One thing that keeps her going is that even though they are far away from each other, they are both one with each other.

By reading Bradstreet’s works and recognizing her intended audience, one can get an idea of how life was for Puritan women. According to U.S. History.org Puritan women were required to attend worship services, yet they could not to speak or offer prayer. Women were also not allowed to attend town meetings or be involved in the decisions that were discussed. If Puritan women were to be seen and not heard in public, then one can say that most of their works are not meant for public consumption.

In Puritan religion, a relationship between a man and a woman is to be kept behind closed doors. They are not to draw attention to their relationship and keep their feelings repressed, because they believed that their relationship to God is the most important relationship and their personal relationship would take away from their devotion to God. They believed through this devotion to God they would find redemption and salvation and kept a strict moral code, especially for women. Therefore, Anne Bradstreet's love poems to her husband are her way of expressing the emotions she kept repressed from the public. These poems are from the heart and could be viewed more as structured diary entries. This is why her works were not initially intended for public viewing. That is why some of her poems do not even have a true title, but instead are more of a description of the poem or why it was written such as “Before the Death of One of her Children”, in which she warns her child of her own possible death and instructs him or her to watch over her other children if she does die, and “A Letter to Her Husband", "Absent upon Public Employment.” Bradstreet intended for her work to only be seen by the eyes they were strictly intended to be met by; her husband and children. She used her writing a way to cope with her loneliness when her husband was away for political affairs and her struggles with adapting to her new life in the colonies.

Bradstreet was not responsible for her writing becoming public. Bradstreet’s brother-in-law, John Woodbridge, sent her work off to be published. However soon after, there was concern for the family because Bradstreet did not want to elevate herself. Bradstreet was a righteous woman and her poetry was not meant to bring attention to herself. Though Bradstreet’s works are renown in today’s world, it still was a great risk to have had her work published during the time in which she lived because being a published author would have not been a typical role of the everyday Puritan woman.

Use of metaphors

Anne Bradstreet uses a variety of metaphors throughout her poetic works. For instance, in Bradstreet's poem "To My Dear and Loving Husband" she uses several poetic features and one being the use of metaphors. In the middle quatrain of "To My Dear and Loving Husband" Bradstreet states:

"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."

This part of the poem above lets out the logical argument and starts to become truly heartfelt with the use of religious imagery and metaphors. The subject of this poem is her claimed love for her husband as she praises him and asks the heavens to repay him for his love. Bradstreet wrote this poem as a response to her husband's absence.

"A Letter to Her Husband, Absent Upon Public Employment" is another one of Anne Bradstreet's poems written with several poetic devices, one being her use of metaphors. In this poem she addresses her husband by an arrangement of metaphors, and the main one being the sun. She states "I, like the earth this season, mourn in black." She likens herself to the earth in winter, as she expresses a death "in black" the receding light and feeling "chilled" without him to warm her when she states "My chilled limbs now numbed lie forlorn." She goes on to talk about her children as reminders and she quotes "those fruits which through thy heat I bore." With her husband "southward gone" she discovers the short winter days to be long and tedious. Bradstreet continues to express her sun metaphor into the future as to when he returns, the season will be summer as she quotes "I wish my Sun may never set, but burn/ Within the Cancer of my glowing breast."

Throughout much of Puritan writing, nature used as symbolism was used very often. Nature was a large part of the Puritan society and it was shown throughout the writing during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Nature was a large part of life during the Puritan era because society was centered on the nature, because the society relied on nature to provide for the people. Puritans felt that God gave them this beautiful untouched land, where they were able to transform it to a prosperous, plentiful land for the people to survive on. Much of the Puritan writing was based on the nature they lived in, and how they interacted with nature.

Throughout “Letter to Husband, Absent upon Public Employment” Bradstreet uses the symbolism of nature by referring to her husband as the sun, and the warmth of the sun being her happiness. Bradstreet states how when her husband is gone, the warmth in her life is gone until he returns.

Bradstreet, as one of the first American poets, is often thought to also be one of the first transcendentalist writers of the 17th century. The word "transcendentalism" as defined by The Oxford American Dictionary of American English is stated as follows: 'explaining matter and objective things as products of the subjective mind' or 'regarding the Divine as the guiding principle in man.' The transcendentalists strove to drive man away from his material existence and appreciate the simple beauty of nature while understanding the importance of them as a spiritual being. God played a significant role, which lived through the soul of the common man. Bradstreet's poem “Another Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment,” she compares her relationship between her and her husband to multiple animals in nature such as deer, doves, fish and turtles.

Themes

The role of women is a common theme found in Bradstreet's poems. Living in a Puritan society, Bradstreet did not approve of the stereotypical idea that women were inferior to men during the 1600s. Women were expected to spend all their time cooking, cleaning, taking care of their children, and attending to their husband's every need. In her poem In Honour of that High and Mighty Princess Queen Elizabeth of Happy Memory, Bradstreet questions this belief.

"Now say, have women worth? or have they none? Or had they some, but with our queen is't gone? Nay Masculines, you have thus taxt us long, But she, though dead, will vindicate our wrong, Let such as say our Sex is void of Reason, Know tis a Slander now, but once was Treason."

A reoccurring theme in Bradstreet's work is mortality. In many of her works, she talks about her own death and how it will affect her children and her life. The reoccurrence of this mortality theme can be viewed as autobiographical. Because her work was not intended for the public, she was referring to her own medical problems and her belief that she would die. On top of her medical history of smallpox and partial paralysis, Bradstreet and her family dealt with a major house fire that left them homeless and devoid of all personal belongings according to her biographical website annebradstreet.com. Therefore, the reader can actually understand Bradstreet's personal feelings and fears about death. She hoped her children would think of her fondly and honor her memory in her poem, “Before the Birth of One of Her Children.” "If any worth or virtue were in me, Let that live freshly in thy memory."

In The Prologue, Bradstreet demonstrates how society criticized women's accomplishments and that she should be doing other things such as sewing rather than writing poetry.

"I am obnoxious to each carping tongue Who says my hand a needle better fits, A poet's pen all scorn I should thus wrong. For such despite they cast on female wits: If what I do prove well, it won't advance, They'll say it's stol'n, or else it was by chance." Bradstreet also challenged Puritan beliefs by announcing her complete infatuation with her husband, Simon Bradstreet.

In To My Dear and Loving Husband, Bradstreet confesses her undying love for Simon saying "Thy love is such I can no way repay, The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray." She also proves her obsession in A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment. This was dangerous during her time because Puritans believed that this kind of love would only stray someone further from God.

Anne Bradstreet writes in a different format than other writes of her time. This mainly is due to the fact that she wrote her feelings in a book not knowing someone would read them. This makes for more real literature, and the total truth. In her poem " A letter to my Husband" she speaks about the loss of her husband when he is gone. The pain she feels she write with vivid examples such as nature. She doesn't hold anything back. <\p> "I like the earth this season morn in black, my sun is gone". Here Anne is expressing her feelings of missing her husband when he is away. She compares the feeling to that of mourning. A very serious tone for the poem.

"To my faults that well you know I have let be interred in my oblivious grave; if any worth of virtue were in me, let that live freshly in they memory". Anne expresses the feeling she has of wanting her children to remember her in a good light not in a bad light.

Tone

Bradstreet often uses a sarcastic tone in her poetry. In the first stanza of The Prologue, she claims "for my mean pen are too superior things" referring to society's belief that she is unfit to write about wars and the founding of cities because she is a woman. In stanza five Bradstreet continues to display irony by stating "who says my hand a needle better fits". This is another example of her sarcastic voice because society during this time expected women to perform household chores rather than write poetry.

Although Anne Bradstreet endured many hardships in her life, her poems are usually written in a hopeful and positive tone. Throughout her poem In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Simon Bradstreet, she mentions that even though she has lost her grandson in this world, she will one day be reunited with him in Heaven. In Upon the Burning of Our House, Bradstreet describes her house in flames but selflessly declares "there's wealth enough, I need no more." Although Bradstreet lost many of her material items she kept a positive attitude and remained strong through God.

Legacy

To honour Mistress Bradstreet, North Andover MA celebrated her 400th birthday during 2012. To see all highlighted events, go to AnneBradstreet.org. a site devoted to her life and words.

List of works

Library resources about
Anne Bradstreet

By Anne Bradstreet

Before the Birth of One of Her Children
A Dialogue between Old England and New
A Letter to Her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment
Another
Another (II)
For Deliverance From A Fever
Deliverance from Another Sore Fit
Contemplations
In Honour of that High and Mighty Princess, Queen Elizabeth
In Reference to her Children, 23 June 1659
The Author to Her Book
The Flesh and the Spirit
The Four Ages of Man (quaternion)
Four Seasons of the Year (quaternion)
Four Elements (quaternion)
Of The Four Ages of Man (quaternion)
The Four Monarchies (quaternion)
The Prologue
To Her Father with Some Verses
To My Dear and Loving Husband
Upon a Fit of Sickness, Anno 1632 Aetatis Suae, 19
Upon My Son Samuel His Going For England, November 6, 1657
Upon Some Distemper of Body
Verses upon the Burning of our House
The Tenth Muse, Lately Sprung Up in America (1650) and, from the Manuscripts. Meditations Divine and Morall, Letters, and Occasional Poems, Facsimile ed., 1965, Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints, ISBN 978-0-8201-1006-6.
An Exact Epitome of the Three First Monarchies (1650) (a.k.a. Exact Epitome of the Four Monarchies)

References

De Grave, Kathleen. "Anne Bradstreet". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 May 2006 accessed 29 April 2012.
Nichols,Heidi, Anne Bradstreet P&R Publishing,Philipsburg, 2006 ISBN 978-0-87552-610-2
^ William Addams Reitwiesner Genealogical Services.
^ New England Ancestors. Cite error: The named reference "NEA" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
“Jewett belonged to a succession of women writers, mostly New Englanders, that went back through Harriet Beecher Stowe and Rose Terry Cooke to colonial poet Anne Bradstreet--who, according to some accounts, was yet another of Jewett’s illustrious ancestors.” Paula Blachard. Sarah Orne Jewett: Her World and Her Work. Reading, Mass. : Addison-Wesley Pub. Co., c1994, pp. 356-57.
Nichols,Heidi Anne Bradstreet,P&R Publishing,Phillipsburg,2006 ISNBN 978-0-87552-610-2
Cotton Mather,The Greatest Works of Christopher Columbus,Banner of Truth (reprinted )1979
n. a. (2000). Anne (Dudley) Bradstreet. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 1, 2006.
Zachary Hutchins, "The Wisdom of Anne Bradstreet: Eschewing Eve and Emulating Elizabeth," Modern Language Studies 40.1 (2010):38-61.
Gordon, Charlotte. Mistress Bradstreet: The Untold Story of America's First Poet. New York: Little, Brown, 2005. 240-252
Ellis, J. H. (1867). The Works of Anne Bradstreet in Prose and Verse.
http://www.hno.harvard.edu/guide/to_do/to_do9.html
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/eng384/bradbio.htm
^ http://www.annebradstreet.com/to_my_dear_and_loving_husband.htm
^ http://www.annebradstreet.com/before_the_birth_of_one_of_her_children.htm
http://www.scribd.com/doc/25317228/Women-s-History-Women-s-Role-in-Colonial-Society
http://www3.gettysburg.edu/~tshannon/hist106web/site15/HOLLY/public_html/Intro.htm
http://www3.gettysburg.edu/~tshannon/hist106web/site15/HOLLY/public_html/Women%20Chores.htm
http://www.annebradstreet.com/in_reference_to_her_children.htm
^ http://allpoetry.com/poem/8457805-A_Letter_to_Her_Husband__Absent_upon_Public_Employment-by-Anne_Bradstreet
http://www.ushistory.org/us/3d.asp
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/anne-bradstreet
http://theotherpages.org/poems/bradstr1.html
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntwilderness/essays/puritan.htm
Lewis, Jone. "About Anne Bradstreet's Poetry". About.com. Retrieved 27 February 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); line feed character in |accessdate= at position 3 (help)
{{cite web|last=Gonzalez|first=Ramon|title=Anne Bradstreet, 1612-1672|url=http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/16071783/lit/bradstre.htm%7Cpublisher=Mark Canada|accessdate=27 February 2012}}
"Feminist Themes in the Works of Anne Bradstreet". Retrieved 27 February 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); line feed character in |accessdate= at position 3 (help)
{{cite web|last=Atwood|first=Kathryn|title=The Works of Anne Bradstreet, Review by Kathryn Atwood|url=http://www.womensindependentpress.com/wordpress/?p=834%7Cpublisher=John Harvard Library|accessdate=27 February 2012}}
Howe-Pinsker, Rebecca. "Confession, Exploration and Comfort In Anne Bradstreet's "Upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666"". Florida Gulf Coast University. Retrieved 27 February 2012.

External links

Celebration of the 400th Birthday of Anne Dudley Bradstreet (March, 1612)
Selected Works of Anne Bradstreet hypertext from American Studies at the University of Virginia.
Several Poems Compiled with Great Variety of Wit and Learning by Anne Dudley Bradstreet, Boston: Printed by John Foster, 1678, at A Celebration of Women Writers
Full Text Links from the William Dean Howell Society
Genealogical Record
Audio: Robert Pinsky reads "To My Dear and Loving Husband" by Anne Bradstreet (via poemsoutloud.net)
Audio: Charlotte Gordon discusses the life of Anne Bradstreet.
Examples of Anne Bradstreet's quaternions

v t e Metaphysical poetry
Major poets	John Donne (1572–1631) George Herbert (1593–1633) Andrew Marvell (1621–1678) Abraham Cowley (1618–1667) Robert Southwell (c. 1561–1595) Richard Crashaw (c. 1613–1649) Thomas Traherne (1636/1637–1674) Henry Vaughan (1622–1695)
Minor poets	Anne Bradstreet (c. 1612–1672) Thomas Carew (1595–1640) George Chapman (c. 1559–1634) John Hall (c. 1627–1656) Edward Herbert (1583–1648) Richard Leigh (1649-1728) Katherine Philips (1632–1664) Sir John Suckling (1609–1642) Edward Taylor (c. 1642–1729)
Critics	Samuel Johnson T. S. Eliot

The Dudley–Winthrop family tree

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Adam Winthrop
(1548–1623)