Anne Bradstreet

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Anne Bradstreet

• (1612-1672)

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Anne Bradstreet

• Born Anne Dudley in Northampton, England in 1612.
• Father managed Earl of Lincolns 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 Winthrops flagship Arabella to begin the
  Puritans journey to the colonies.

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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

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Anne Bradstreet

• Types of Poetry
• Religious Meditations
• 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

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Anne Bradstreet

• Types of Poetry
• Contemplations
• 33 stanzas
• Each was its own entity
• All were interrelated
• Expressed the poets recognition of God in nature
  (a rare subject at that time)

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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)

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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

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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 haveYet 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

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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