Puritan Beliefs In Anne Bradstreet's To My Dear Children

Puritans: Christian Believers During the 1600’s the Puritans were a group of people who came from England to get away from the Church of England. Their ideas and beliefs played a huge role in their relocation to the New World. The Puritans felt as if the reformation of the Church of England had not gone far enough, and that the Church of England was tolerant of practices of the Catholic Church. (Baym 58). Anne Bradstreet was apart of this migration to the New World. Anne Bradstreet‘s literature such as , To My Dear and Loving Husband, To My Dear Children, A Letter to her Husband, Absent upon Public Employment, focused on her observation of living in a Puritan society. There were three very important parts of Puritan culture religiousness
In Bradstreet’s short story, To My Dear Children, she gives many examples of how important God was and the Devil was behind every evil deed. “If at any time I was overtaken with the evils, it was as a great trouble, and I could not be at rest till by prayer I had confessed it unto God” (Baym 111). Everything centered in her life was already pre destined according to Puritan beliefs. As she continued to write in her short story, To My Dear Children, I believe she is trying to teach them the only way to be successful in life was by following The New Testament scriptures. “I also found comfort in reading Scriptures, especially those places I thought most concerned my condition, and as I grew to have more understanding, so the more solace I took in them” (Baym 111). Anne Bradstreet was sick at the time at the end of the short story she wrote, “This was written in much sickness and weakness, and is very weakly and imperfectly done, but if you can pick any benefit out of it, it is the mark which I aimed at” (Baym 114). Bradstreet wanted people to see that the way of life and everything good was because of God and God alone. The normal way of Puritan life was to constantly work and do good in this life to be chosen for the next eternal one. “And could I have been in heaven without the love of God, it would have been a hell to me, for in truth it is the absence and presence of God that makes it heaven or hell” (Baym
She was to be a good wife take care of her husband as well as bear his children. She felt as if the Lord would send her children and a husband when he was ready not herself. Bradstreet did not necessarily agree with the stereotypical Puritan way a wife should live however, she followed the way accordingly. In her poem To My Dear and Loving Husband, she proclaims Thy love is such I can no way repay, / the heavens reward thee manifold, I pray (Baym Lines 9-10). “After a short time I changed my condition and I was married.” (Baym 111). Puritans believed marriage was a gift ordained by God. Bradstreet is again speaking about how the Lord sent her a husband with whom she is infatuated with which is portrayed in her poem, To my Dear and Loving Husband. Puritans took care of their children and their husbands they knew their place in society although did question it sometimes. As Bradstreet wrote, Look to my little babes, my dear remains (Baym Line 22) portrays a woman who loves her children even after death she will still look after them and love them. In writing her poetry she would leave them with her beliefs on how to survive and live to uphold the beliefs of Puritanism. “This book by any yet unread, I leave for you when I am dead, That being gone here you may find what was your living mother’s mind. Make use of what I leave in love, and God shall bless you from above” (Baym