Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672)

Anne Bradstreet Born Anne Dudley in Northampton, England in 1612. Father managed Earl of Lincoln’s estate Provided daughter with excellent educational opportunities during her early years. At age 16, married Simon Bradstreet. Year after their marriage, he was appointed to assist with preparations for Massachusetts Bay Company. In 1630, the Bradstreets (and her father) boarded John Winthrop’s flagship Arabella to begin the Puritans’ journey to the colonies. She lived in a time when the amount of education that a woman received was little to none. Even though she did not attend school, she was privileged enough to receive her education from eight tutors and from her father, Thomas Dudley, who was always more than willing to teach her something new. She was a very inquisitive young person who satisfied her hunger for knowledge through her extensive reading of some of the greatest authors ever known. Thanks to her father's position as the steward of the Earl of Lincoln estate, she had unlimited access to the great library of the manor. This is where she became exposed to the writings of many well known authors. In 1628 she married Simon Bradstreet, her father's assistant.  Father and husband were both governers of Mass in their lifetimes.

Anne Bradstreet Poetry reflects Bradstreets’ happy life, despite its hardships. 8 children (all successful and had large families of their own) First in the British colonies to have a book of poetry published. Tenth Must Lately Sprung Up in America Originally published without her knowledge Did make revisions & additions for 2nd edition published in 1678, 6 years after her death When Bradstreet stepped foot on the soil of the New World, she was overwhelmed by the sickness, lack of food, and primitive living conditions. Regardless of all this hardship, she refused to give in and return to England and instead made the best of her new life. She struggled to raise eight children, take care of her home, and she still found time to write. Bradstreet lived a hard life, but she proved to be a strong women and this internal resolve is reflected in her writings. 

Bradstreet was bothered by the cultural bias toward women that was common in her time; the belief was that a woman's place was in the home attending to the family and her husband's needs. Women were often considered intellectual inferiors and because of this, critics believed that Bradstreet stole her ideas for her poems from men. Her writing was severely criticized because it was that of a woman, receiving a different kind of criticism than that of her male counterparts. The public had a similarly harsh reaction to Bradstreet's role as a female writer. When her first publication of The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America was released, the idea that she was a virtuous women had to be stressed. John Woodbridge, her brother-in-law, had to write: "By a Gentle Women in Those Parts" on the title page to assure readers that Bradstreet did not neglect her duties as a Puritan woman in order to write, by making it clear that she found time for her poetry by giving up sleep and using what little leisure time she had. We can see the anger that Bradstreet feels towards this kind of criticism about her writing in the following lines of her work "The Prologue":

Anne Bradstreet Types of Poetry Religious Meditations Domestic Poems Individual prayers from his own distress Published after her death (not meant for public view) Domestic Poems “Upon the Burning of Our House” Love Poems “To My Dear and Loving Husband” Elegiac Poems Epitaphs about her loved ones “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild” Contemplations Religious meditations & contemplations primarily demonstrate Puritan consciousness and religious principles’ (The Flesh and the Spirit) Simon Bradstreet played a crucial role in many of Bradstreet's works. She wrote love poems about him when he was around as well as when he was away on trips. In Bradstreet's Puritan culture, the love between husband and wife was supposed to be slightly repressed, so as not to distract one from devotion to God. Yet, some of  Bradstreet's sonnets work against this idea. A good example of this is the poem, "To My Dear and Loving Husband," which contains the following lines: Love poems break stereotypes of puritans (To My Dear and Loving Husband) reveal deep human love, physical passion, pain over temporary separation In Memory of My Dear Grandchild” reveals human grief comforted by religious faith Upon the Burning of Our House” Demonstrates pain of loss eased only by faith – alludes to recognizable pleasures associated with home (entertaining friends; seeing children grow and marry)

Anne Bradstreet Types of Poetry Contemplations 33 stanzas Each was its own entity All were interrelated Expressed the poet’s recognition of God in nature (a rare subject at that time) 33 stanzas, each was its own entity yet All were interrelated Expressed the poet’s recognition of God in nature (a rare subject at that time) one that didn’t become popular until the Romantic period. Was ahead of her time…long before it was accepted nature was the consolation and inspiration Also wrote some prose meditations, typically they would be what we might call short, poetic sermons. Another theme in Bradstreet's works was her religious experiences. In her writing Bradstreet gives an insight of Puritan views of salvation and redemption. She writes about how she feels that God has punished her through her sicknesses and her domestic problems. The Puritans believed that suffering was God's way of preparing the heart for accepting His grace. This idea plagued Bradstreet, and she wrote about how she struggled to do everything that she could to give into His will, in order to save her wondering soul. However, 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.

Anne Bradstreet Her long poems are reflections & imitations of her favorite poets: Bartas (Divine Weeks & Works – 1605) Salluste Sir Walter Raleigh (History of the World)

Anne Bradstreet Poetry reflects trials about her new circumstances in New World Sometimes questions truth & spiritual matters accepted by her religious sect (Puritans). Her poetry does not reflect the avenging God of the Puritans Ideal of divine and tender love predominates Was taken from her home of luxury and put down in a wilderness – had imposed upon her a terrible adjustment. No wonder she questioned the wisdom of the puritans removal to American and even the beliefs that motivated it. Endured bad health during the first few years of residence in the colony.

Anne Bradstreet “I have often been perplexed that I have not found that constant joy in my pilgrimage and refreshing which I supposed most of the Servants of God have…Yet have I many times sinkings and droopings, and not enjoyed that felicity that sometimes I have done. But when I have been in darkness and seen no light, yet have I desired to stay my self upon the Lord…”

Anne Bradstreet Characteristics of her works Self-effacing “apology” Preference for balance Attachment to nature and the body Humor & irony Historic and mythic heroines Domestic as authoritative Direct, simple language & imagery

Websites http://www.annebradstreet.com/anne_bradstreet_poems.htm Hypertext site: http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Bradstreet/index.html