did anne bradstreet have kids

How does Anne Bradstreet show her love for her 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.

Did Anne Bradstreet live in the New World?

Anne Bradstreet and the New World. Anne Bradstreet and her husband moved around quite a bit, living in Salem, Boston, Cambridge, and Ipswich before settling in 1645 or 1646 in North Andover on a farm. Beginning in 1633, Anne bore eight children. As she noted in a later poem, half were girls, half boys:

How did Anne Bradstreet deal with her medical history?

In addition to her medical history (smallpox and partial paralysis), Bradstreet and her family dealt with a major house fire that left them homeless and devoid of all personal belongings. She hoped her children would think of her fondly and honor her memory in her poem, "Before the Birth of One of Her Children."

What are some of Anne Bradstreet's poems?

About Anne Bradstreet: Poems Anne Bradstreet: Poems Summary Character List Glossary Themes Quotes and Analysis "Verses Upon the Burning of our House" "For Deliverance From a Fever" "Upon a Fit of Sickness" "The Flesh and the Spirit" "On my dear Grand-Child Simon Bradstreet, Who dyed on 16.

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Did Anne Bradstreet have 8 kids?

She was married at sixteen, and her parents and young family migrated at the time of the founding of Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. A mother of eight children and the wife and daughter of public officials in New England, Bradstreet wrote poetry in addition to her other duties.

How many children did Anne Bradstreet have in her life?

8 childrenThey had 8 children within about 10 years, all of whom survived childhood. She was frequently ill and anticipated dying, especially in childbirth, but she lived to be 60 years old. Anne seems to have written poetry primarily for herself, her family, and her friends, many of whom were very well educated.

Did Anne Bradstreet lose a child?

Anne Bradstreet,“On my dear Grand-child Simon Bradstreet, Who died on 16 November 1669. Being but a month, and one day old,” The Works of Anne Bradstreet in Prose and Verse (Charlestown: A. E. Cutter, 1867).

When did Anne Bradstreet have her first child?

1633Bradstreet immigrated to the new world with her husband and parents in 1630; in 1633 the first of her children, Samuel, was born, and her seven other children were born between 1635 and 1652: Dorothy (1635), Sarah (1638), Simon (1640), Hannah (1642), Mercy (1645), Dudley (1648), and John (1652).

Is Anne Bradstreet a feminist?

Bradstreet is considered a feminist who advanced her feministic ideas through her writings. "The Prologue" speaks about Bradstreet's struggle with being a woman within a Puritan society.

Who is the first woman poet of the world?

EnheduannaAmong the first known female writers is Enheduanna; she is also the earliest known poet ever recorded. She was the High Priestess of the goddess Inanna and the moon god Nanna (Sin). She lived in the Sumerian city-state of Ur over 4,200 years ago.

Who is Bradstreet speaking to in before the Birth of one of her children?

'Before the Birth of One of Her Children' by Anne Bradstreet is a moving poem about a woman's opinion on death. Inspired by her pregnancy, the speaker pens this epistolary to her husband. 'Before the Birth of One of Her Children' was published in 1678 and touches on the dark subject of child mortality.

How old was Anne Bradstreet when married?

16Anne Bradstreet was born Anne Dudley in 1612 in Northamptonshire, England. She married Simon Bradstreet, a graduate of Cambridge University, at the age of 16.

How old was Anne Bradstreet when she arrived to America?

As she grew older, her poetry became more natural and her subject centered around her life as a Puritan mother and wife in the new Massachusetts Bay Colony. The earliest Anne Bradstreet poem still in existence was written in 1632 when Bradstreet was only nineteen years old and newly arrived in America.

Did Anne Bradstreet have slaves?

Simon owned land across Massachusetts, including a small island "lying intirely betwixt the River and a certain Brook there" near Topsfield, Massachusetts. We also learned that the Bradstreet family owned slaves, which is something we had not come across before in our studies.

When was before the birth of one of her children written?

1678Anne Bradstreet's "Before the Birth of One of Her Children" is actually about death—specifically, death in childbirth, an all-too-common fate when this poem appeared in 1678. The first published writer from England's North American colonies, Bradstreet was also the mother of eight children.

Who was the first American poet?

Anne BradstreetAnne Bradstreet: America's First Poet : NPR. Anne Bradstreet: America's First Poet Anne Bradstreet is considered America's earliest poet, and a new biography details her life.

What is Anne Bradstreet's before the Birth of one of her children about?

Anne Bradstreet's "Before the Birth of One of Her Children" is actually about death—specifically, death in childbirth, an all-too-common fate when this poem appeared in 1678. The first published writer from England's North American colonies, Bradstreet was also the mother of eight children.

What is the theme of the poem on the Birth of a child?

On The Birth of a Son by Su Tung-Po begins by discussing how when a 'child is born', the families hope that they are 'intelligent'. However, the poet describes how his life has been wrecked by his own intelligence, living an unhappier life than someone who was born 'stupid'.

Was Anne Bradstreet banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony?

In 1638, just twelve years before the publication of The Tenth Muse, Bradstreet's acquaintance Anne Hutchinson was banished from Massachusetts Bay for holding meetings in which she criticized the colony's ministers and challenged male authorities.

What did Cotton Mather Call Anne Bradstreet?

Cotton Mather mentions Anne Bradstreet in one of his books. He compares her to such (female) luminaries as "Hippatia" and the Empress Eudocia. Anne Bradstreet died on September 16, 1672, after a few months' illness. While the cause of death is not certain, the likelihood is that it was her tuberculosis.

Where was Anne Bradstreet born?

Anne Bradstreet was born in the year 1612 in Northampton, England. She was the daughter of Thomas Dudley and Dorothy Yorke. His father was the steward of the Earl of Lincoln. Her family’s good status helped her in having a good raising and education. In her growing years, Anne was taught history, several languages and literature. She was married to Simon Bradstreet at the age of sixteen. In 1630, boarding the Arbella ship which was a part of the Winthrop Fleet of Puritan emigrants, Anne, Simon and her parents immigrated to America. They reached America on June 14, 1630 at what is now Pioneer Village (Salem, Massachusetts). After a brief stay at the village, they moved to south along the coast to Charlestown, Massachusetts. After a short stay, they moved again, along the Charles River to the newly-found City on the Hill, Boston, Massachusetts. The family continued on moving and reached to a place which is now Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was there that Anne gave birth to her first child, Samuel in 1632. In the foundation of Harvard University in 1636, her husband and father made significant contribution. In spite of her poor health, she gave birth to eight children and kept her comfortable social standing. Anne was already once suffered from smallpox and when the illness struck her again, she was paralyzed in her joints. In 1640s when Anne was pregnant with her sixth child, Simon forced her to move from Ipswich to Andover Parish. The Bradstreet family along with other families such as the Stevens, Osgood, Johnson, Farnum, and Barker founded the town of North Andover in 1646.

Who was Anne Bradstreet's brother in law?

In 1647, Bradstreet's brother-in-law Rev. John Woodbridge went to England carrying a manuscript of Anne’s poetry. In 1650, her poetry was published in London with the name "The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, by a Gentlewoman from Those Parts”.

Where is the Bradstreet Gate?

This gate also known as the Bradstreet Gate is located next to Canaday Hall, the newest dormitory in Harvard Yard. In 2000, a marker in the North Andover cemetery commemorated the 350th anniversary of the publishing of her book "The Tenth Muse". These two sites are the only places in the America honoring her memory.

Why was Anne's condition worse?

It worsened her condition as she was already dealing with the grieving loss of a number of relatives. Anne being a religiously devoted woman remained strong over the losses. The knowledge of Biblical scriptures helped her to believe that her daughter-in-law Mercy and her grandchildren were in heaven.

Where did Anne and Samuel move to?

The family continued on moving and reached to a place which is now Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was there that Anne gave birth to her first child, Samuel in 1632.

Who wrote the poem "Homage to Mistress Bradstreet"?

In 1956, poet John Berryman paid tribute to her in his writing with his work, “Homage to Mistress Bradstreet” which included a long poem that incorporates many phrases from her writings. Her other most famous work was “Several Poems Compiled with Great Wit and Learning” that was published in 1678. Image Credit. ...

Who was the first woman poet to be published in England and America?

With the publication of her first work “The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, by a Gentlewoman of those Parts” in London in 1650, Anne Bradstreet became the first woman poet to be published both in England and America. Her poetry had the elements of Elizabethan literary tradition and was deeply influenced by the sixteenth century French poet ...

How many children did Anne Bradstreet have?

Beginning in 1633, Anne bore eight children. As she noted in a later poem, half were girls, half boys: Four Cocks there were, and Hens the rest. Anne Bradstreet's husband was a lawyer, judge, and legislator who was often absent for long periods.

Who were Anne Bradstreet's descendants?

Descendants of Anne Bradstreet include Oliver Wendell Holmes, Richard Henry Dana, William Ellery Channing, and Wendell Phillips. More: About Anne Bradstreet's Poetry.

What is Anne Bradstreet known for?

Known for: Anne Bradstreet was America's first published poet. She's also known, through her writings, for her intimate view of life in early Puritan New England. In her poems, women are quite capable of reason, even while Anne Bradstreet largely accepts the traditional and Puritan assumptions about gender roles. Dates: ~1612 - September 16, 1672.

Why did Anne Bradstreet return to England?

In 1661, he even returned to England to negotiate new charter terms for the colony with King Charles II. These absences left Anne in charge of the farm and family, keeping house, raising the children, managing the farm's work. When her husband was home, Anne Bradstreet often acted as hostess.

Where did Anne Bradstreet and the New World land?

Anne Bradstreet, along with her husband and her father, and such others as John Winthrop and John Cotton, were in the Arbella, the lead ship of eleven that set off in April and landed in Salem Harbor in June of 1630.

Who was Anne Bradstreet's brother in law?

Yet among all this, she found time to write poetry. Anne Bradstreet's brother-in-law, the Rev. John Woodbridge, took some of her poems to England with him, where he had them published without her knowledge in 1650 in a book titled The Tenth Muse Lately Spring Up in America .

Did Anne Bradstreet write poetry?

Anne Bradstreet continued to write poetry, focusing more on personal experience and everyday life. She edited ("corrected") her own version of the earlier works for republication, and after her death, a collection titled Several Poems including many new poems and a new edition of The Tenth Muse was published in 1678.

How does Bradstreet address her husband?

After musing on the possibility of death, Bradstreet addresses her husband, reminding him that her death may be imminent and he might lose his “Friend.” She specifies the ways in which she would like to be memorialized, requesting her husband remember whatever "worth or virtue" she possesses. She also asks him to look after their children, whom she refers to as "my dear remains," implying that they are pieces of her. She asks him to protect their offspring from a cruel or heartless stepmother. Bradstreet's acceptance of her husband's potential remarriage is representative of the way that the mother was at the center of the Puritan family unit. Here, Bradstreet casts the stepmother as the caretaker, rather than a new wife for her husband.

What does Bradstreet say at the end of the poem?

At the end of the poem, Bradstreet evokes a melancholy and sentimental image of her husband honoring her and kissing the paper that she has written these verses on. As she does in many of her other love poems, Bradstreet alludes to her physical relationship with her husband when she asks him to kiss the paper.

Why did women die in colonial New England?

Women in colonial New England spent a great deal of their adult lives pregnant. The life expectancy of women was lower than it was for men (62 for women vs. 69 for men), mostly due to the fact that there was a high rate of death during childbirth. According to the Digital History Project, “During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, between 1 percent and 1.5 percent of all births ended in the mother's death as a result of exhaustion, dehydration, infection, hemorrhage, or convulsions. Since the typical mother gave birth to between five and eight children, her lifetime chances of dying in childbirth ran as high as 1 in 8.”

Why did Anne Bradstreet and her family move?

The situation was tense as well as uncomfortable, and Anne Bradstreet and her family moved several times in an effort to improve their worldly estates.

Who compared Anne Bradstreet to?

In a statement of extravagant praise Cotton Mather compared Anne Bradstreet to such famous women as Hippatia, Sarocchia, the three Corinnes, and Empress Eudocia and concluded that her poems have "afforded a grateful Entertainment unto the Ingenious, and a Monument for her Memory beyond the stateliest Marbles.".

What does Bradstreet ask for in the Prologue?

In an ironic and often-quoted passage of "The Prologue," she asks for the domestic herbs "Thyme or Parsley wreath," instead of the traditional laurel, thereby appearing to subordinate herself to male writers and critics:

What is Bradstreet's personal feelings?

that reveals Bradstreet's personal feelings is " In Honor of that High and Mighty Princess Queen Elizabeth of Happy Memory ," written in 1643, in which she praises the Queen as a paragon of female prowess.

Who is Anne Bradstreet's brother in law?

Anne Bradstreet's brother-in-law, John Woodbridge, was responsible for the publication of the first edition of The Tenth Muse.... The title page reads "By a Gentlewoman in those parts"—and Woodbridge assures readers that the volume "is the work of a Woman, honored and esteemed where she lives.".

Who was Anne Dudley married to?

In about 1628—the date is not certain—Anne Dudley married Simon Bradstreet, who assisted her father with the management of the Earl's estate in Sempringham. She remained married to him until her death on September 16, 1672.

Did Anne Dudley Bradstreet go to school?

Although Anne Dudley Bradstreet did not attend school, she received an excellent education from her father, who was widely read— Cotton Mather described Thomas Dudley as a "devourer of books"—and from her extensive reading in the well-stocked library of the estate of the Earl of Lincoln, where she lived while her father was steward from 1619 to 1630. There the young Anne Dudley read Virgil, Plutarch, Livy, Pliny, Suetonius, Homer, Hesiod, Ovid, Seneca, and Thucydides as well as Spenser, Sidney, Milton, Raleigh, Hobbes, Joshua Sylvester's 1605 translation of Guillaume du Bartas's Divine Weeks and Workes, and the Geneva version of the Bible. In general, she benefited from the Elizabethan tradition that valued female education. In about 1628—the date is not certain—Anne Dudley married Simon Bradstreet, who assisted her father with the management of the Earl's estate in Sempringham. She remained married to him until her death on September 16, 1672. Bradstreet immigrated to the new world with her husband and parents in 1630; in 1633 the first of her children, Samuel, was born, and her seven other children were born between 1635 and 1652: Dorothy (1635), Sarah (1638), Simon (1640), Hannah (1642), Mercy (1645), Dudley (1648), and John (1652).

Overview

Background

Writing

Literary style and themes

Selected works

Further reading

External links