Anne Bradstreet And Phillis Wheatley Essay

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A Swift Analysis of Phillis Wheatley and Anne Bradstreet – APA. Daniel Frasure - ENGL 201 Phillis Wheatley and Anne Bradstreet, two pioneering figures in American poetry, while over eighty years separate the death of Bradstreet and Wheatley’s birth, both lived in periods of significant societal constraints—Wheatley as an enslaved African woman and Bradstreet as a Puritan wife (Belasco, 2019). Their writings reflect unique perspectives shaped by the environments of their respective eras, revealing how they managed their societal roles through poetry. This author’s intent is to both compare and contrast the Wheatley’s and Bradstreet’s poetry, illustrating how their unique circumstances influenced their theme and style. Through their distinctive …show more content…

Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) and Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784) operated under vastly different yet similarly restrictive environments. Bradstreet, part of the early Puritan migration to Massachusetts, dealt with societal expectations that as a woman her domain should be contained to her sphere of her home and children (Eisinger, 1951). In contrast, Wheatley, born in West Africa, kidnapped around the age of six or seven, and enslaved in Boston, experienced the brutal limitations of slavery (Bennett, 1998). Despite these restrictions, both women learned to read and write, using their literary talents to carve out a voice for themselves within their communities. Bradstreet’s work often delved into her personal life and spiritual beliefs (Cowell, n.d.), while Bennett points out that Wheatley's poems tackled the themes of freedom and identity, often containing classical, religious, and neoclassical elements. Religion serves as a central role in both poets' works. Bradstreet's faith and Puritan way of life permeated her poetry, such as observed in Contemplations (Bradstreet, 1645). I wist not what to wish, yet sure thought I, If so much excellence abide

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