Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), although born in England, is
             considered to be the first American poet. She is also revered as the
             first woman to be published. Married to Simon Bradstreet at age
             sixteen, she ventured with her family to the Massachusetts colony.
             Simon, the governor of Massachusetts colony, served a major role in
             her life and her literary career. He was the subject in many of the
             poems included in the two volumes Bradstreet had published. A
             Puritan all her life, Bradstreet led a simple life guided by principles of
             grace, plainness, and divine missions. In "To My Dear and Living
             Husband", she shows her devotion to her husband in a smooth and
             simple manner. We can see from the poem the strong feelings she
             has for her husband. However, she contradicts some of her Puritan
             beliefs 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 devotion
             to him with a repetition of images. One such image is presented in
             "I prize my love more than whole mines of gold
             Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
             My love is such that rivers cannot quench,..."
             She states here that she would accept nothing in return for the
             love that she shares with her husband and that no power, great or
             small, could destroy it. Love is a tricky subject to many, and to some:
             a fictional thing. On a personal note, I hope to one day find this love
             that she speaks of. Bradstreet's love for Simon is untouchable and
             "To My Dear and Living Husband" is a beautiful and well-written
             poem. In breaking apart the structure, we see that the poem contains
             twelve lines, each containing ten syllables. Since each line is write in
             the iambic fashion of alternating unstresse
             ...