Anne Bradstreet Biography

579 Words2 Pages

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 had poor health, suffered a difficult journey. In 1666 the family experienced a strong fire, which, among other things, almost entirely burned down the library where Anne received a good education (in the library had 800 volumes on the history, theology, medicine, political science); there is even a poem by Bradstreet dedicated to this fire which made so much harm to her family. Following these events, she developed tuberculosis, she lost her daughter. It was supported by faith, will, and help of loved ones. Bradstreet’s poetry is fully religious. Being a pious woman, as everyone was at that time period, she wrote poems claiming high morals and religious motifs. Her writings were very popular among puritans who started colonizing America. His Puritan belief was the reason of her special attitude to her life, soul and sufferings. “She thought that God was so hard on her because her soul was too in love with the world. She also wrote some poems where she asked God to watch over her children and husband” (Gonzalez, 2000). Bradstreet poems are full of hints on this belief of her. Anna herself mostly prized lengthy religious poem of the conventional plots belonging to her pen: the change of seasons, and so on, whereas most modern readers like her w... ... middle of paper ... ...e from her love to the world. Perhaps, she believed that in this love of her, she became God-like and God thus punishes her. Nevertheless, the presence of God in her poems is more than clear. Perhaps, it was due to religious beliefs that she though that it was wrong to feel too strong feelings to world and she considered herself to be a sinner who deserves punishment. Today, there are few followers of Bradstreet, but she, her ideas and her thoughts about sufferings still remain in modern books. Works Cited Bradstreet, A., & Kallich, M. (1973). A Book of the Sonnet: Poems and Criticism. New York: Twayne Publishers. Gonzalez, R. (11 May 2000 г.). Anne Bradstreet, 1612-1672. Получено 12 May 2011 г., из UNCP.edu: http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/16071783/lit/bradstre.htm Lauter, P. (1998). Anthology of American Literature. Chicago: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Show More
Related

  • How Does Anne Bradstreet Need To Be Weaned Affections?

    1277 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Edwards And Anne Bradstreet

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Among all my experiences of God’s gracious dealings with me I have constantly observed this, that He hath never suffered me long to sit loose from him...” (Bradstreet 68). Anne Bradstreet is showing her devotion to God and is focusing on his love and mercy. Bradstreet found inspiration in William Shakespeare but more importantly what drove her poetry was religious beliefs. Being born into a Puritan family, Bradstreet became accustomed to Puritan behavior and had a strong belief in God. Jonathan Edwards, another strong believer in God, had the same Puritan beliefs but thought if a person shall sin they would be destined to end up in hell. Edwards is an extreme pastor and this is shown in the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The two being the ideal Puritan religion have strong opinions on viewing God

    Read More

  • Comparing and Contrasting the Beliefs of Jonathon Edward and Anne Bradstreet

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Anne Bradstreet's Poem

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first part in this poem, "If ever two were one" (1) sets us with expectations to continue with the reading. These words show that Bradstreet and her husband were really in love, that this love could unite two persons and make them one. Bradstreet and her husband think, act, and feel much like they are part of each other. The tone of this poem tells us that she is a very religious, because she speaks of praying and the heavens. We get the impression that she is a very dedicated person, to her family and to God. She...

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Anne Bradstreet And Margaret Fuller

    1025 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Anne Bradstreet And Upon Wedlock And The Death Of Her Children

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Caring for Children

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anne Bradstreet loves her children so much because she raised them all with pain and care. Bradstreet often talks about her children loving people, and people loving them, “And with her mate flew out of sight” (14) and out of her reach so she can not watch over them. Bradstreet’s strong Puritan heritage gives her unquestionable belief that God is watching over her children for her, and her children are watching for God. With this relationship between her and God, Anne Bradstreet accepts the departure of her children. In this poem Anne Bradstreet talks about success, “Coupled with mate loving and true” (23) this is Bradstreet’s idea of success for her children in this poem. Anne Bradstreet’s idea of success is so much more than just this line, in the fact that she wants her children to be educated, and live good productive Christian lives. All of these things are implied in the poem as simple as finding a mate and “flying” off.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Anne Bradstreet And Edward Taylor

    1298 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anne Bradstreet was born in the United Kingdom in 1612. Through her fathers help she was very

    Read More

  • Upon The Burning Of Our House By Anne Bradstreet Analysis

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    She narrates "It was His own, it was not mine” (Bradstreet 122, 17). After seeing her house burn, and taking away all the things that she possessed, she knows there is nothing she can do. Bradstreet, therefore, aligns her thoughts and says, “I blest His name that gave and took” (Bradstreet 14). Bradstreet as a Puritan had the belief that for one to be righteous, they had to dissolve their ties with the earthly things. Bradstreet thus tells herself that she had done something bad by forgetting the fact that it was God that owned everything. As a result, she leaves everything to God as she has reminded herself that God can at any time take anything He wants from His children (Bradstreet 15-17). The Puritans believed that man was not supposed to sin at any cost and they also believed in life after death. The poet criticizes herself for having sinned and cries out to God, “Far be it that I should repine/ He might of all justly bereft/ But yet sufficient for us left” (Bradstreet 18-19). She believes that she was supposed to leave it all to God because they belonged to Him. She knows even with all her possessions being burned to the ground, God still left her with all she needed The Puritans believed that they were not to become worldly by living in the world. Bradstreet bids farewell to her home and reminds herself that she has a permanent home in Heaven which is built by God and cannot be destroyed by fire. She writes, “Thou hast an house on high erect/ Framed by the mighty Architect/ With glory richly furnished/ Stands permanent though this be fled” (Bradstreet 43-46). The Puritans believed in life after death, and that one must not become too attached to things of the

    Read More

  • Analysis of Upon the Burning of Our House by Anne Bradstreet

    337 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Anne Bradstreet Society Or Self

    834 Words  | 2 Pages

    John Berryman wrote a critique of Bradstreet’s “The Author of Her book” and did not withhold details of his revulsion towards her work. His revulsion was based solely on her “weakness” and “feminine” ways. He believes she was a “boring, high minded Puritan woman who may have been our first American poet but was not a good one” (Berryman 12). The synopsis of the critique was based on her weaknesses and feminine insecurities more than the actual analysis of her writings. Berryman believed that she did not want “The Author of Her Book” to be published because she knew she did not amount to the expectations of society. “Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true, Who thee abroad, exposed to public view, Made thee in rags, halting to th’ press to trudge, Where errors were not lessoned (all may judge)” (Bradstreet

    Read More

  • Analysis Of My Dear And Loving Husband By Anne Bradstreet

    1084 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Bradstreet’s poem ‘In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Elizabeth Bradstreet, Who Deceased August, 1665, Being a Year and a Half Old’ religion plays a key part on managing the grief of death. Being ‘with the Lord forever’ was a promise in ‘My Dear and Loving Husband’ whereas in ‘Memory of My Dear Grandchild it is used to bring comfort. The promise that Elizabeth Bradstreet is ‘then ta’en away unto eternity’ where the Puritan belief suggests she will endure for ‘forever’ and thus they shall meet again. The Puritan belief that ‘we are parted for a little while, but we shall see them again’ helps Bradstreet deal with the grief of the death of her grandchild. Puritanism has clearly permeated every aspect of Bradstreet’s life as her first act in desperate times is to look to her faith but also seeks her religion in every relationship she has whether it be romantic, with her husband, or familial. Bradstreet seeks to celebrate her faith in God through her poetry, using it as a form of worship making it a clear tool for voicing her Puritan

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Of Bradstreet's The Prologue

    1505 Words  | 4 Pages

    Bradstreet is a master of balance, harnessing her love for God, her family, and her intelligence without ruining her creativity. Most will read her poems as if they contained “feminist irony,” but few explore how likely it is for this irony to be willingly placed--she is witty, and not excessively humble to the point of degrading herself (). According to The Works of Anne Bradstreet by Johnston, “Most of what [people] know about Anne herself [are from] her own writings,” because the lack of personal accounts about her character, but still, many have gathered a general construct about her character that literary analysts do not often deter from (). Given the evidence that The Prologue is a satire instead of a declaration of her humility, one can assume that Bradstreet, as an individual, was much more headstrong than many assume by drawing conclusions from the first half of the prologue and disregarding that what one assumes to be ironies and ignorance are more of wit and cleverness. Bradstreet does not fear strict convention or judgement like many interpreters believe, even though she lives with people who by heavily discomforted by her

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Anne Bradstreet To My Dear Children

    1550 Words  | 4 Pages

    Anne Bradstreet starts off her letter with a short poem that presents insight as to what to expect in “To My Dear Children” when she says “here you may find/ what was in your living mother’s mind” (Bradstreet 161). This is the first sign she gives that her letter contains not just a mere retelling of adolescent events, but an introspection of her own life. She writes this at a very turbulent point in history for a devout Puritan. She lived during the migration of Puritans to America to escape the persecution of the Catholic Church and also through the fragmentation of the Puritans into different sects when people began to question the Puritan faith.

    Read More

  • Anne Bradstreet's Contribution to American Literature

    992 Words  | 2 Pages

    By reading Bradstreet’s work, a fair sense of what Mrs. Bradstreet was like can be grasped. She clearly stated her opinion of those who objected to her writing: “I am obnoxious to each carping tongue, / Who says my hand a needle better fits.” (Bradstreet,“ The Prologue”155). Bradstreet refused to give up her passion for writing even if it meant going against the opinions of anyone in her colony, including religious leaders. Although Bradstreet referred to herself as being obnoxious, her written works portray an entirely different Bradstreet. She seeks no reward or fame for her writing: “Give thyme or parsley wreath, I ask no bays” (155). Bradstreet seeks no reward for her writing because she doesn’t think her work is very good: “My foolish, broken, blemished Muse so sings” (154). She refers to her writing as her: “ill-formed offspring” (“The Author To Her Book”165). Even after her work is published she is ...

    Read More

More about Anne Bradstreet Biography

Open Document