Research Paper On Anne Bradstreet

"If ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man love by wife then thee'. By Anne Bradstreet who is one of a American Authors. over a past four century Anne have received a number of accolades from literary scholars and critics. Anne Bradstreet is one of American author and not only a author but also a poet which mean she have written some poem. She has been called one of the greatest Puritans/New world, first female poets in America. Some people consider her as best female poet of all time. Both Americans historians and English literature scholars regularly examine, anthologized and talk about her work. We will be talking about life of Anne Bradstreet. As a matter of fact, let talk about her early life. Anne was born in March
20, 1612 Northampton, England as Anne Dudley and her father name is Thomas Dudley who once was solider of queen Elizabeth and her mother name is Dorothy Yorke. "When she was seven year old Thomas became steward to Theophilus Clinton, Earl of Lincoln and moved his family...."(www.encyclopedia.com). Even though Anne didn't go to school he was taught by her father. Anne have learn literature and history in Greek, Latin , French Hebrew and English. she have benefited from the Elizabethan tradition that value the female education. She also have access to her family library and she read book quickly and eagerly, favoring such as luminaries like Virgil Horace, Ovid, homer, etc. Then she end up getting married to Simon Bradstreet who was Thomas assistant and graduate of Cambridge University. when she was 16 year old while Simon was 25 year old. Then the couple moved to estate of dowager Countess of Warwick where Simon have became steward. At begin of their of marriage they didn't have children which made Anne sad but They end up have eight children even though she didn't have good health.. Because she previously have smallpox she would once again get illness due to fact the paralysis took over her joints. In Addition, Anne along with her husband and parents have to leave their home and go to Massachusetts bay colony as part of Winthrop fleet of Puritan. In 1630 the Bradstreet and Dudley embraked for Massachusetts bay colony. "There was harsh climate and rustic surrounding Bradstreet where she have unexpectedly experience when she have arrived in America different starkly with privilege existence she had known in England"(https://www.poetryfoundation.com). Both her husband and father became governors of Massachusetts bay colony. She was worried because of sickness, shortage of food and original living condition of New England outpost, she have confess she have protest against new world but end up submitted to Puritans mission and Join church of Boston, even though she submitted to it she have remain uncertain about issue of salvation and redemption. As they improved a lot Bradstreet family move lot and all within Massachusetts. They have live in salem, charleston, Newtown(which now became Cambridge), Ipswich and finally Andover where they have settle in 1645. Additionally, she have wrote lot of poem and her first poem was "Upon a Fit Of Sickness" when she was sixteen year old.
However she have only published one collection of poem during Anne lifetime. her brother in law have lot of Anne poem with her permission and published 'The Tenth Muse, Lately Sprung Up In America'. This series have made her the first female poet to be published England and soon America. Her most famous poem in The Tenth Muse got to do with a number four include The Four Elements, The Four Humours, The Four Seasons and The Four Ages Of Man. She have kept her later work a secret because content was more personal.. It was about sickness, marriage, faith and religion doubt. Her famous poem is "Contemplations." Her other work is To My Dear and Loving Husband, We May Live Together, The Flesh and The Spirit, etc. She have wrote poem called "Upon the Burning of Our House July 10th 1666 that was inspired by her house being burned
down. Moreover, Anne education help to write about politics, history, medicine and theology. much her poetry are based on her observation on the world around her, focus heavily on domestic and religious theme. Bradstreet poems mostly got to do with romanticism and she sometime will present romanticisms in forms of idealism, individualism and discussion of exotic place. For example to my dear and loving husband she have introduced to us love poems that is lyrical but will some religion element of prayer. She have show individualism in her poems by having her own choice of material instead of her writing style. Her poetics have belong to Elizabethan literary tradition which include Edmund Spencer, Sir Philip Sidney and Guillaume du Bartas. Anne Bradstreet will express romanticism in her poems in way of how she is feeling. She will often use sarcastic tone in her poem. In first stanza of the Prologue she claims "for mean pen are too superior things"(https://www.poemhunter.com) talking about society believing that Anne is unqualified to talk about wars and founding of cities just because she was woman. Her poem are usually written in hopeful and positive tone despite the fact she went many hardship in her life. She have mentions in poem called In Memory of My Dear Grandchild her grandchild have die but she will one day be together with her in heaven one day. Her love for nature and physical and spiritual world often cause conflict in her poetry. Despite the fact she have hope in future that is promises for religion but she find great joy in reality of present include her family, home and nature. she have realize that she shouldn't have according to Puritans. Of course, Late poem is Better than her early work because the poem in 1678 edition have demonstrate a command over subject of matter and mastery of poetic craft. These later poems are consider more straightforward about her spirituals problem and and her strong attachment toward her family than she did in her earliest work. For a example in her poem to Simon her husband, "Before the Birth of One of Her Children'' she admitted that she is afraid that she will died in childbirth which was realistic during seventeenth century and beg him to continue to love her even after she have died. She also asked him to take good care of his kids and protect them from stepmother cruelty he does get married again. the most important aspect of Anne Bradstreet poetic evolution Is increasing confidence in validity of her personal experience and sebject of poetry. Equally important is theme, Woman role is the common theme that are found in Anne Bradstreet poetry.
Living Puritans society Anne didn't agree the stereotypical idea that woman are less important than man during 1600s. during this time it was belief that woman should stay home and house chores, take care of kids and their men. Ann use her poem "In Honour of that High and Mighty Princess Queen Elizabeth of Happy Memory" to question this belief. the repeating theme in Bradstreet work is Mortality. In the Prologue she demonstrate how society would criticize a woman accomplishments and that she should being other things instead writing poetry. She have challenge Puritans belief by announcing she is complete infatuated with her husband. "In to My Dear and Loving Husband Bradstreet confess her undying love for Simon her husband. "thy love is such I can no way repay"(www.poemhunter.com). During her time it was dangerous because purtian believe that that type of love will move someone away from God. The repeating theme can be seen as autobiographical because her work wasn't meant for public, she was talking about her health problems and her belief she is going to die. She hoped her children will have fondly memory of her and honor her memory in her poem called "Before the Birth of One of Her Children". Nature is also the recurring theme of Anne works. She always display close relationship between nature and God. she believe that nature is a gift from God is show through in
most of her poems. Furthermore, like how people use diary to express their feeling, Anne Bradstreet use her poems to recording her feeling and important thing she gone through her life. She had never meant for people to see it only her husband suppose it. She have wrote lot of letter to her husband Simon include To My Dear and Loving Husband, A letter to Her Husband and Absent upon Public Employment these letter show Anne talking about how much she love Simon and how much she have miss him while he was away on government business. It only meant for her husband see the letter. She have also wrote a poem to her unborn child to warn her she might die and instructs him or her to look after her other children if she does died. She have written a poems to her children like To My Dear Children and letter to deceased grandchildren Elizabeth, Anne and Simon. Finally, In July 10,1666 Bradstreet home have burned down because fire which left the family homeless and on personal stuff at the time. By that time Anne health start failing slowly because she have stuffer from tuberculosis. she also have deal with the fact her daughter Dorothy have died because her illness. Also loosing her son after that. Despite that she have stayed strong and might have look back on her religious devotion and what she know about Bible. She end up finding peace after she believe her daughter have go to heaven. She have died on September 16,1672 in North Andover, Massachusetts. She was 60 year old when she have dies and her husband married again four year after she have died. Her eight children name is Samuel(1633), Dorothy(1635), Sarah(1638), Simon(1640), Hannah(1642), Mercy(1645), Dudley(1648) and John(1652). the place she was buried was Old North Parish Burying Ground North Andover Essex County Massachusetts, USA. "A marker in North Andover......"(www.poemhunter.com). That site and Bradstreet Gate at Harvard might have been the place in America to honor her. The Ten Muse was published in American in 1678 six year after she have died. Some critics tend to think that her letter verse is more impressive than her early work. Her reputations is mainly based on her more personal poems.