The Height of Puritanism

1
The Height of Puritanism

• Anne Bradstreet

2
Anne Dudley Bradstreet

• Had a formal education far superior to most 17th
  century English women.
• She had eight tutors in languages, music, and
  dancing.
• At sixteen she married Simon Bradstreet, a fellow
  Puritan their marriage was characterized as
  being unusually happy and loving.

3
Anne Dudley Bradstreet

• Simon was appointed to help in the preparations
  for the Massachusetts Bay Company.
• The Bradtsreets and Dudleys sailed to the New
  World.
• Severity of life in the New World greatly taxed
  Annes strength, already weakened by a childhood
  bout with rheumatic fever.
• She suffered recurrent periods of severe fatigue.

4
Anne Dudley Bradstreet

• As a child Anne wrote poetry to please her
  father.
• In adulthood she continued to write, despite the
  overwhelming pressures of her life.
• Her brother-in-law brought a series of her poems
  with him to London, where they were published.
• Her poems became widely read and attracted the
  attention of poet, Edward Taylor.

5
Anne Dudley Bradstreet

• As a Puritan Bradstreet preferred her long
  meditative poems on the seasons and the ages of
  man
• Most present day readers are more attracted to
  her shorter, more homely verses, which reflect
• Concern for family
• Concern for home
• Concern for daily life

6
To My Dear and Loving Husband

• Anne wrote this poem during one of her husbands
  many long absences.
• She expresses her deep love and admiration for
  her husband.
• She also expresses her own spiritual convictions.
• She writes in simple an d direct plain style.
• She uses short, easily understood words common to
  17th century conversation.

7
To My Dear and Loving Husband

• The poem is composed of heroic couplets.
• Rhymed pairs of iambic pentameter lines.
• An iamb consists of one unstressed syllable
  followed by one stressed syllable.
• Heroic couplets often contain a complete thought.
• This verse style is called heroic because in 18th
  century England is was often used for heroic
  (epic) poems.

8
To My Dear and Loving Husband

• Lines 1-4 state of their marriage
• They complement each other well.
• He completes her.
• Lines 5-6 love is more important than money.
• Lines 7-8 love is eternal and everlasting
• Lines 9-12 reward is in heaven
• cant match Gods love
• Live for the glory of God so they end up living
  together in eternal life.

9
Upon the Burning of Our House

• In 1666 when Anne Bradstreet was in her
  mid-fifties and ill, her house burned down.
• This poem was written about that experience.
• It is considered to be one of her most effective
  poems.
• Worldly concerns are represented by the material
  possessions she mourns.
• She is in despair at the beginning of the poem.
• She is sustained by her faith that she is one of
  those whom God has elected for eternal life in
  heaven.
• There are four beats or stresses in each line of
  the poem.
• It is written in couplets.

10
Upon the Burning of Our House

• Went to bed content and arose in fear.
• She prays to God to survive with strength and
  dignity.
• At this point her entire house is on fire.
• She prays to God some more he has the power to
  give and take.
• Acknowledges she should not despair over loss of
  material goods.
• She mourns the loss of the house because of good
  memories.

11
Upon the Burning of Our House

• No more family and friends may visit.
• She remembers exactly where everything in the
  house was shall not see lost items again.
• No more future in this place.
• Concrete expression of relationships.
• Reminds herself that true rewards are found in
  heaven.

12
Upon the Burning of Our House

• Do not regret loss of material things.
• Stanza 8 alludes to the following
• Heaven, God, saints, eternal life, Jesus
  sacrifice/Gods love
• Place in heaven priceless
• Gods generosity and graciousness
• By the end of the poem she has found the strength
  to say goodbye to lost possessions.