Bradstreet Analyzed
Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), although born in England, isconsidered to be the first American poet. She is also revered as thefirst woman to be published. Married to Simon Bradstreet at agesixteen, she ventured with her family to the Massachusetts colony. Simon, the governor of Massachusetts colony, served a major role inher life and her literary career. He was the subject in many of thepoems included in the two volumes Bradstreet had published. APuritan all her life, Bradstreet led a simple life guided by principles ofgrace, plainness, and divine missions. In "To My Dear and LivingHusband", she shows her devotion to her husband in a smooth andsimple manner. We can see from the poem the strong feelings shehas for her husband. However, she contradicts some of her Puritanbeliefs at certain points in the poem. To Anne Bradstreet, her husband is exactly what he should be;the love of her life. Over and over again she expresses her devotionto him with a repetition of images. One such image is presented in "I prize my love more than whole mines of gold
" She states here that she would accept nothing in return for thelove that she shares with her husband and that no power, great orsmall, could destroy it. Andas a Puritan, Bradstreet has no desire or need for "mines of gold" oreastern riches anyway. Lines 7-8 are a forced rhyme (quench & recompense. These pauses in the middle of the line make the statement seem toadd emotion to mere printed words. Bradstreet's love for Simon is untouchable andeternal. But, however, spiritually, the twocomplete each others' life , so that, in marriage, they are one. My love is such that rivers cannot quench,. Although Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan for the entirety of herlife, "To My Dear and Loving Husband" may or may not be a reflectionof Puritan life. Love is a tricky subject to many, and to some:a fictional thing. We can base this on the use of words such as"thee", "ye", "thy", and "doth". On a personal note, I hope to one day find this lovethat she speaks of.
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