Anne Bradstreet's Poem In Reference To Her Children

In Anne Bradstreet’s poem, “ In Reference to Her Children”, Bradstreet reveals the mixed emotions she experiences after her children move out of the house. Throughout the poem, Bradstreet metaphorically speaks of her family. She refers to her home as the nest, and her eight children as birds. At the beginning of the poem, Bradstreet pridefully boasts about nurturing her children. However, pride eventually turns into grief once her eldest son moves away. Bradstreet continues to grieve over the five eldest children as each one starts his or her own life away from home. She fears that her children will not survive in the real world. Nevertheless, Bradstreet places her trust in God and begs her children to remember her as a loving mother.
Misery
(9-12). Bradstreet metaphorically explains that she sent letters to her son asking him to return home. She advised him to not leave his mother and father. Despite the pain Bradstreet felt, she believed that God ordained the footsteps of her family. She said, “ As is ordained, so shall they light.” (40). Bradstreet turned to God to justify her children leaving home. Despite placing the situation in God’s hands, Bradstreet still worried about her children. She knew that the real world was uncompassionate and dangerous; she also knew that her children would have struggles in the real world. Bradstreet wrote, “And with my wings kept off all harm, / My cares are more and fears than ever, / My throbs such now as ‘fore were never.” (58-60). For so long, Bradstreet protected her children and comforted them from the things of the world. Now, she has no way to protect her children from the evil in the real world. She worries about their safety, since she has no control over them. Bradstreet yearns for her children to remember her as a loving, sacrificing mother. She said, Among your young ones take your rest, In chirping language, oft them