Bradstreet's poems often made reference to the following topics: the providence, mercy, and wrath of God revealed in illness, loss, suffering, and safety Bradstreet wrote her poems using what is known as the Puritan Plain Style. The characteristics of this style are: didactic lessons (poems were intended to teach a lesson to the reader)
Why did Anne Bradstreet start writing poetry?
This clearly shows that Bradstreet used a reference to the bible to show her husband that they are one in the eyes of the Lord and she loves him. So from this we can see that she writes poetry to express her love and also to show her faithfulness and devotion to her relationship with her husband. However, that is not the only reason she writes.
Was Anne Bradstreet a true Puritan?
In closing, Anne Bradstreet was a puritan girl who had a robust love for both God and family. She was deeply affected by family related deaths and subsequently the occasions would trigger her to query both her own beliefs and the actions of a God who might take a lot from her. The Puritan beliefs affected her writing as well as her personal life.
What rhyme scheme does Anne Bradstreet use in her poetry?
‘The Prologue’ by Anne Bradstreet is an eight stanza poem that is separated into sets of six lines, known as sestets. These sestets follow a simple rhyme scheme of ABABCC, changing end sounds from stanza to stanza. In amongst several other literary devices, Bradstreet makes use of iambic pentameter. This means that each line contains five sets of two beats.
What did Anne Bradstreet write about?
Correspondingly, what were Anne Bradstreet poems about? Anne Bradstreet's Style and Popular Poems She discussed the themes of love, nature, Puritan religion, and community. By reading her poems, one can get a sense of the intended audience, as most of her poems concerned the lifes of Puritan women. what was Anne Bradstreet purpose? Orginally Anne's audience was her husband, children and herself. She wrote to educate her children, share the hardships she faced with them and how she coped with ...
See more
Examples
I'm sorry, you have not provided the title of the poem in question.
the flesh and the spirit
There is tension between these two aspects of human nature, and in the poem, Bradstreet explores some of the most important and ubiquitous question...
In the "Flesh and Spirit"
"The Flesh and the Spirit" was published in 1650. The poem is a conversation between Flesh and Spirit, which Bradstreet personifies as two arguing...
What does Anne Bradstreet mean by women?
Anne Bradstreet also alludes to the role of women and to women's capabilities in many poems. She seems especially concerned to defend the presence of Reason in women. Among her earlier poems, the one extolling Queen Elizabeth includes these lines, revealing the sly wit that's in many of Anne Bradstreet's poems:
What is the success of the Tenth Muse?
The publishing success of The Tenth Muse seems to have given Anne Bradstreet more confidence in her writing. (She refers to this publication, and to her displeasure with being unable to make corrections to the poems herself before publication, in a later poem, "The Author to Her Book.") Her style and form became less conventional, and instead, ...
What was Anne Bradstreet's first collection?
Jone Johnson Lewis. Updated August 31, 2018. Most of the poems included in Anne Bradstreet 's first collection, The Tenth Muse (1650), were quite conventional in style and form, and dealt with history and politics. In one poem, for instance, Anne Bradstreet wrote of the 1642 uprising of Puritans led by Cromwell.
Was Anne Bradstreet a Puritan?
Anne Bradstreet was in most ways quite typically Puritan. Many poems reflect her struggle to accept the adversity of the Puritan colony, contrasting earthly losses with the eternal rewards of the good. In one poem, for instance, she writes of an actual event: when the family's house burned down.
Who said "They'll say it's stolen or else it was by chance"?
They'll say it's stolen, or else it was by chance.". Anne Bradstreet largely accepts, however, the Puritan definition of proper roles of men and women, though asking for more acceptance of women's accomplishments. This, from the same poem as the previous quote: "Let Greeks be Greeks, and Women what they are.
When was the burning of our house?
And from "Here Follows Some Verses upon the Burning of Our House July 10th, 1666":
What is the meaning of the poem "Flesh and Spirit"?
This poem features a conversation between Flesh and Spirit, which are personified as two sisters who engage in a dialogue about where true sustenance lies – with the flesh (the body and worldly existence) or the spirit (the soul and the afterlife).
What is the poem "The Tenth Muse" about?
This poem was directly inspired by the news that Bradstreet’s poems had been published, as The Tenth Muse, by her brother-in-law … without her consent. Bradstreet laments the fact that her ‘ill-formed’ verses have seen the light of day and blushes and cringes at them, but this may partly be female modesty. Bradstreet also claims the volume as her ‘child’, casting herself as the mother – if not the midwife – to the book.
What does Bradstreet ask God for in this poem?
Bradstreet addresses God and asks to be relieved of the fever – this poem, like a number of Bradstreet’s, reads like a prayer. This poem followed an earlier poem about illness, ‘Upon a Fit of Sickness’, which Bradstreet had written; in this poem, she is cured of her fever, and thanks God for delivering her from it.
What was the first book of poems by an author living in America?
In 1650, a collection of her poems, The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America, was published in England, bringing her fame and recognition. This volume was the first book of poems by an author living in America to be published. She continued to write poetry in the ensuing decades. Below we’ve chosen five of the finest Anne Bradstreet poems.
What happened in 1666?
In 1666, a great fire consumed much of the considerable library of books owned by Anne Bradstreet. This happened in July 1666 – two months before that other great fire that would destroy much of London and that John Evelyn would chronicle in his diary – and it occurred on the other side of the Atlantic, in Massachusetts.
Who was the first American poet?
The best poems by America’s first poet selected by Dr Oliver Tearle. Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) was the first person in America, male or female, to have a volume of poems published. She herself wasn’t American and had been born in England, but she was among a group of early English settlers in Massachusetts in the 1630s.
Who is Oliver Tearle?
The author of this article, Dr Oliver Tearle, is a literary critic and lecturer in English at Loughborough University. He is the author of, among others, The Secret Library: A Book-Lovers’ Journey Through Curiosities of History and The Great War, The Waste Land and the Modernist Long Poem.
What does Anne Bradstreet mean by "Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone"?
Anne Bradstreet: Poems Summary. In “Letter to her Husband, absent upon Publick employment, ” the poet mourns the absence of her husband, who is away on business. She thinks about how the Sun travels along the Zodiacal chart and then comes back to her. She refers to herself as “ Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone.”.
What is the meaning of the poem "The Flesh and the Spirit"?
In “The Flesh and the Spirit ,” the poet personifies Flesh and Spirit as two sisters arguing. Flesh asks her sister why she spends so much time meditating and dreaming of things beyond the Moon. Flesh says Earth has enough to satisfy her. Spirit replies tartly that her sister is a foe and they proceed to have an irreconcilable feud. Spirit hates the sinful pleasures that Flesh indulges in, and says that her ambition lies above. All precious stones and royal robes are even more glorious in Heaven. There is no sickness and no darkness.
What are the four humors of the poem?
In “The Four Humours,” the poet writes about the dispute between Choler, Blood, Melancholy, and Flegme (Phlegm) about which of them is the noblest and the best. Each humour accounts for her greatest accomplishments, and how she helps the body to function. Choler is critical of her sisters.
What does Simon Bradstreet write about her grandson?
In “On my dear Grand-child Simon Bradstreet,” Bradstreet writes sadly about the untimely death of her grandson just after his birth. In addition, his two older sisters also died in early childhood. She tries to find solace in the fact that one day, they will all meet again in Heaven.
What does Phoebus ask for in another (II)?
She asks Phoebus for her husband's return, for only he can dry her tears. Phoebus must hurry, she warns, or upon his return, he will find “Chaos blacker than the first.”. In “Another (II),” Bradstreet's misery lingers, as her husband is away again. Without him, her life is joyless and bleak.
What does Spirit say to her sister?
Spirit replies tartly that her sister is a foe and they proceed to have an irreconcilable feud. Spirit hates the sinful pleasures that Flesh indulges in, and says that her ambition lies above. All precious stones and royal robes are even more glorious in Heaven. There is no sickness and no darkness.
What does New England promise to do in another?
New England promises to help her mother and cleanse the Old World of the evil Papists; Old England is still glorious and worthy of salvation. In “Another,” the poet again expresses her despair during her husband’s absence. She asks Phoebus for her husband's return, for only he can dry her tears.
What does Bradstreet say about 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.
Why did Anne Bradstreet write a letter to my husband?
In her poem "A letter to my Husband" she speaks about the loss of her husband when he is gone.
What was the role of women in 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.
What did the Puritans believe about marriage?
"If ever two were one, then surely we." The Puritans believed marriage to be a gift from God. 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 remarrying after she dies. Another line shows that she believes that it is possible for her husband to remarry. 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 stepmother. The fact that Bradstreet believes that God will grant her husband a new wife if she dies shows how much Puritan women believed in marriage.
Why was Ann Hopkins criticised?
Because writing was not considered to be an acceptable role for women at the time, Bradstreet was met with criticism. One of the most prominent figures of her time, John Winthrop, criticized Ann Hopkins, wife of prominent Connecticut colony governor Edward Hopkins. He mentioned in his journal that Hopkins should have kept to being a housewife and left writing and reading for men, "whose minds are stronger." Despite heavy criticism of women during her time, Bradstreet continued to write which led to the belief that she was interested in rebelling against societal norms of the time.
Where did Simon move to in 1640?
In the early 1640s, Simon once again pressed his wife, pregnant with her sixth child, to move for the sixth time, from Ipswich, Massachusetts, to Andover Parish. North Andover is that original town founded in 1646 by the Stevens, Osgood, Johnson, Farnum, Barker, and Bradstreet families, among others.
Where is Anne Bradstreet buried?
The precise location of her grave is uncertain but many historians believe her body is in the Old Burying Ground at Academy Road and Osgood Street in North Andover.
What made Anne Bradstreet so special?
Their health and success made Anne Bradstreet aware of God’s love and goodness, and she took care to thank Him for His bountiful blessings. Bradstreet’s affection is immensely relatable; her anxieties, hopes, and support for her children are no different from those of modern mothers.
How many children did Anne Bradstreet have?
These were the conventions of gender that structured Puritan society. Bradstreet had eight children and dedicated several of her poems to the strength of her maternal love. She describes the ways in which her children remind her of her love for her husband and how she respects each of them as individuals, as well. Their health and success made Anne Bradstreet aware of God’s love and goodness, and she took care to thank Him for His bountiful blessings. Bradstreet’s affection is immensely relatable; her anxieties, hopes, and support for her children are no different from those of modern mothers.
What is Bradstreet's belief in nature?
Bradstreet, like most Puritans, revered nature. In many of her poems, she often describes nature directly or personifies her family members as animals (her children as birds, her husband as a deer, etc.). Commonly, her reflections on nature are decidedly religious, for when she begins to contemplate the beauty of her natural surroundings she muses about the magnificent Creator, who is even more glorious. In her four Quaternions, she juxtaposes nature’s beauty and tranquility with its occasional violence and chaos. Her poems about nature are influenced by her Puritan beliefs as well as her own reflections on the wilderness in colonial America.
What are the realities of Anne Bradstreet's poems?
Many of Anne Bradstreet's poems conjure up the reality of life in colonial Africa. Sickness and death were ever-present for the colonists, who understood that life was short and death could come at any moment. Two of Bradstreet’s poems detail her own bouts with illness. In particular, the Quaternions contain a veritable litany of the ways in which man’s body can be subjected to infection, discomfort, and disease. Death is something the poet acknowledges and both fears and welcomes. She does not desire to leave her husband and children but understands that life in Heaven with her Creator will be joyous.
What is the meaning of the poem "Matrimonial Love"?
Matrimonial Love. Some of Bradstreet’s most beloved poems center on her love for her husband. She writes about how profoundly she misses him while he is away on business. Puritans valued marriage as a partnership blessed by God, and husbands and wives were exhorted to love and respect one another.
Why is Bradstreet's poem so disturbing?
Some critics believe that this evinces a disturbing but historically common pattern of self-effacement and paranoia, due to Bradstreet's fear of overstepping her gendered bounds.
Is Bradstreet a feminist?
Feminism. It is perhaps inaccurate to describe Bradstreet’s work as “feminist,” for she never directly advocates upending the colonial gender hierarchy. In several of her poems, she accepts that that men and women have different roles in society, because she believes that it is what God intended.
How does Bradstreet resist the constraints of female speech?
In either case, Bradstreet succeeds in resisting the constraints of female speech, made explicit by Hutchinson’s banishment, by arguing her views on Puritan theology in the guise of a poetic love letter to her husband.
What did Anne Bradstreet do?
Anne Bradstreet: “To My Dear and Loving Husband”. Anne Bradstreet became a cultural icon for speaking out. Anne Hutchinson was banished. On an icy November afternoon in 1637, in the thatch-roofed Cambridge meetinghouse of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 40 magistrates sat ready to pass judgment on a woman whom they believed posed ...
What is the final couplet in the poem?
The final couplet completes the poem’s theological argument by claiming that it is possible to realize , rather than transcend, duality through achieving a balance between earthly and heavenly love. Deeply felt human love, she seems to be saying, is a kind of salvation, one so fulfilling here on earth that she hopes it is a glimpse of the hereafter where it will live forever (“That when we live no more, we may live ever.”). As Bradstreet scholar Robert D. Richardson Jr. writes: “The union of the lovers in eternity is the outcome of their earthly love. . . . As the poem expresses it, the transition from this world to the next involves not renunciation, not a change even, but an expansion.”
What was Bradstreet's job after the 10th Muse?
After The Tenth Muse was published, Bradstreet turned to poetic subjects that seemingly show her fulfilling a Puritan woman’s duty—raising (and burying) children, contemplating God, and loving her parents and husband.
What is the union of the lovers in eternity?
As Bradstreet scholar Robert D. Richardson Jr. writes: “The union of the lovers in eternity is the outcome of their earthly love. . . . As the poem expresses it, the transition from this world to the next involves not renunciation, not a change even, but an expansion.”.
Why was Hutchinson banished from the colony?
Many historians think Hutchinson’s real crime was to expound publicly on sacred texts, breaking limits that bounded female speech and threatened male authority. The magistrates’ decision to banish her from the colony made those limitations explicit for other Puritan women.
What did the Puritans do introspection?
Puritans engaged in a continual and exacting introspection in which all personal and national events were interpreted as signs of their readiness to receive grace. For example, when she was 14 years old, Anne fell in love with her father’s assistant, Simon Bradstreet, whom she married two years later.
What is the name of the ship that Anne Bradstreet came to New England on?
Anne Bradstreet came to New England aboard the famous ship Arbella in 1630.
What was Anne Bradstreet's vision of New England?
In it he laid out the vision of them being “a city on a hill” that would model to England what a godly society would look like. Anne Bradstreet was the daughter of wife ...
Who was Anne Bradstreet?
Anne Bradstreet was the daughter of wife to Massachusetts governors and Puritans. Her poems reflect many Puritan themes, some expected and some contrary to common–though incorrect–assumptions of Puritans. One example would be the depth of passion and affection she writes to her husband in her poetry. I’ll have to save it for a later post, but ...
Who was the first American poet?
Anne was the first published American poet. She wrote with the values and beliefs of England in mind while living in and experiencing the unique challenges and blessings of New England’s wilderness. I look forward to reading her Works and several of her poems will probably land here.
