Anne Bradstreet's To My Dear And Loving Husband

Anne Bradstreet was a very popular poet. She was the first women poet in the American Colonies. In her time a women being a poet was a very bold step. Society during this time expected women to perform household chores rather than write poetry. She was very intimate about the poetry she wrote. Anne mostly wrote about her husband and her children. In Bradstreet's poetry it shows that she is a typical Puritan woman, devoted to God and to her husband. Other times in her poet Bradstreet's poetry was highly controversial. Anne Bradstreet has two sides of her when she writes her poems. There is devoted Puritan Anne and Mistress, rebel Anne. Puritan Anne loves, griefs, fears and experiences emotions. Devoted Anne believes in God. Rebel Anne speaks

as she thought. Rebel Anne puts her religion aside and just focuses how she really feels without society’s beliefs and thoughts. Through her poems “The Prologue”. “The Author to Her Book, “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Anne Bradstreet, Who Deceased June 20, 1669, Being Three Years and Seven Months Old”, “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Simon Bradstreet, Who Died on 16 November, 1669, Being But a Month, and One Day Old” Anne uses her two sides to write these poems.
In the poem Prologue rebel Anne speaks. In "The Prologue," Bradstreet speaks her mind about how women’s role in society is underestimated. She express her ideas and beliefs during the poem. She does not care if she stands alone. She argues that women are capable of producing worthy work. Anne Bradstreet did not approve of the stereotypical idea that women were

Inferior to men during the 1600s. In the first stanza Anne tells us that kings and captains are known to be superior male poets. “For my mean pen are too superior things:” [208] In this quotes Anne wants the audience to know that she can also write superior things like male poets. She states that her lines are more obscure than theirs. In the second stanza Anne compares her work to a famous poet Guillaume DuBartas. He was a popular Puritan because he gave great importance on Christian history. Rebel Anne says that she will not do what he did, but rather to be simple and true to her work. Midway in her poem she stands up for her right to write 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"[208]. In this quote Anne states she was strongly against the idea that women should be doing other things like sewing, rather than writing poetry. Also that people refused to recognize the value of women’s work. “Many of Bradstreet’s word choice in “The Prologue” exemplify her position of humility: mean, foolish, broken, blemish, and weak or wounded are all part of the traditional self-deprecating style.” (Osborne).
In the poem “To My Dear and Loving Husband” Puritan Anne speaks.

Marriage was very important in Puritan society. Men and women were remained to stay married until they died. Puritan society did not believe in divorce or adultery. Anne believed marriage was very important as well. Her marriage was very special to her. She was devoted to her marriage like a Puritan should be. Anne and her husband seem to have the perfect marriage in a Puritan society. “If ever wife was happy in a man, compare with me, ye woman, if you can” (226). We can tell by this quote she was very happy in her marriage. She also states that there is no other woman who is as happy as she is in her marriage. The poem begins with Anne describing her and

her

Husband as one. Anne states that there is nothing on earth that is more of value than her marriage. Anne states in her poem that she can no way repay her husband for his love and hopes that Heaven will. “The poets husband loves her so much that in order to find something that equals it, she must turn her sights Heavenward” (Osborne). The last line in the poem really stands out to me. “That when we live no more, we may live ever” (226). In this quote she states when they both do not live on earth anymore or their love, that their love will still be alive in heaven forever. She also believes how they love each other so much that when they die, their love will still live on.
In the poem “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild Anne Bradstreet, Who Deceased June 20, 1669, Being Three Years and Seven Months Old” rebel Anne speaks.

The first line of the poem lets us know the emotional phase she is writing in. “With troubled heart and trembling hand I write” (230). She is in a state of weakness and pain. She lets her anger come in between her and God. As rebel Anne does, she speaks truthful on how she really does feel. She does not care what anybody else says. She was very troubled with the death of her granddaughter. In the beginning of the poem Anne is heartbroken. “The heavens have changed to sorrow my delight” (230). In this line she states that God is responsible for her grandchild’s death. Rebel Anne is very angry with God. She is also very disappointed with God. In the poem she questions if stable joy can ever be found while God fades all her loves one away. In the end of the poem Puritan Anne speaks. She puts her anger aside. She accepts human existence. She also realizes her granddaughter is with Jesus Christ in heaven and that she will be there with her when she goes to

heaven.

The poem “On My Dear Grandchild Simon Bradstreet, Who Died on 16 November, 1669, Being But a Month, and One Day Old” Anne uses her Puritan side. She is grieving about the death of her grandson. She is not angry with God. Anne states “yet is He good” (231). She is talking about God. In the line “With dreadful awe before Him let’s be mute, Such was His will, but why, let’s not dispute” (231). She understands she shouldn’t be angry with God. She says we shouldn’t question God. We should trust him. She also states in the poem that God “will return and make up all our losses” (231).
There is a conflict between Puritan theology and her own personal feelings on life. Many of her poems reveal her eternal conflict regarding her emotions and the beliefs of her religion. The two often stood in direct opposition to each other. Her Puritan faith demanded that she seek salvation and the promises of Heaven.