Anne Bradstreet(1612-1672)

Biographical Information Born in Northampton,

England in 1612 Daughter of Thomas

Dudley (leader of volunteer soldiers and a steward for the Earl of Lincoln) and Dorothy Yorke (well educated gentlewoman)

Early Life Father provided daughter with excellent

education Tutored in history, literature, and several

languages Unusual education for a woman

At age 16, married Simon Bradstreet (age 25), her father’s assistant A year later, husband appointed to assist with

preparations for Massachusetts Bay Company

Crossing the Atlantic Bradstreet and her family (including her

father) emigrated to New England on the Arabella in 1630

Anne Bradstreet in America Happy life, despite hardships

sickness (lifelong poor health) lack of food primitive living conditions

8 children (all successful with large families of their own)

Eventual wife of governor, who was frequently away on business

Bradstreet’s Poetry Initially, Bradstreet only wrote for her family

and friends, as was traditional for women Bradstreet learned not to express her views

openly, especially after Anne Hutchinson was banished from her colony and excommunicated from the Church

The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America

First book of poetry from the British colonies

Puritans looked down on women “pursuing intellectual enlightenment”

Brother-in-law secretly copied work and took it to England to be published without her knowledge

The Puritan Novelty

Bradstreet was seen by the English audience as a novelty because: She was a woman She was a Puritan, and her poetry was not strictly

religious She was living in America, which was the new

frontier

Themes & Ideas in Bradstreet’s Poetry

Culture and nature of humanity

Spirituality and theology The tension between faith

and doubt Family Death History Sickness

Bradstreet’s Types of Poetry Religious Meditations

“As Weary Pilgrim” Domestic Poems

“Upon the Burning of Our House” Love Poems

“To My Dear and Loving Husband” Elegiac Poems

“In Memory of My Dear Grandchild” Contemplations

Bradstreet’s Contemplations 33 stanzas

Each its own entity All interrelated

Expressed the poet’s recognition of God in nature (a rare subject at that time)

Struggled with Puritan concept that God sent suffering to prepare humanity for His grace

Anne Bradstreet’s Uniqueness

Poetry reflects trials about her new circumstances in New World

Sometimes questions truth and spiritual matters normally accepted by Puritans Poetry does not reflect the avenging God of the

Puritans Ideal of divine and tender love predominates

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

Plain Style Simple words in clear order

Most Puritan’s wrote in plain style because, as they saw it, God’s word could not be improved by human decoration

Wished to make divine words so everyone could understand it

Homely and raw “from the wilderness”

Bradstreet’s Style and Themes Some longer poems written in learned style on

subjects such as medicine, history, and qualities of fire

2nd edition (28 years later) contains shorter poems written in a simpler style, about children, husband, and home

Recurring theme: Puritan belief that one must not become too attached to things of the world

To Be a Puritan Woman

Bradstreet, as other Puritan women, believed that men were superior to women

Felt it improper for a woman to appear in print

First example of belles lettres in American literature

Puritan Meditation Tradition

1. Imagine a scene Recreate it vividly, analyzing scene and drawing

“arguments from it regarding eternal truth or his own relation to God”

2. Exercise reason to fully understand the image

3. Enter into conversation with God in order to express determination

have more faith, to trust God, to flee sin, to express joy or hope or courage.

Anne Bradstreet

First American Poet