Biography
Anne Bradstreet emerges as a pioneering voice in American poetry, not just for her gender but as the first significant poet of any gender in colonial America. Her work remains a testament to her domestic and intellectual life shaped by her Puritan beliefs and personal experiences. Despite the constraints of her era, Bradstreet's poetic exploration paved a path for future generations.
Early Life
Though Anne Bradstreet's exact birth date is unknown, it is believed she was born in 1612 as the daughter of Thomas and Dorothy Dudley in Northampton, England. Her upbringing was steeped in literature, thanks to her father, who, despite a modest education, cherished books. The Dudleys were connected to literary circles, with ties to the renowned poet Sir Philip Sidney, which likely influenced Anne's early exposure to poetry. This environment fostered her love for the works of poets like Sidney and the Protestant poet Guillaume Du Bartas.
Reflecting on her childhood in a letter to her children, Bradstreet described herself as a dutiful child, comforted by the Bible, yet admitted to struggling with "carnal" desires during her teenage years. The Dudleys relocated to Boston in Lincolnshire, where Thomas worked as a steward. At sixteen, Anne endured smallpox, which likely scarred her face, and married Simon Bradstreet, a Cambridge graduate and fellow Puritan.
The Dudleys, fervent Puritans, faced religious oppression and were eager to start anew in America. Thomas Dudley played a key role in establishing the Massachusetts Bay Company, and in 1630, Anne and her husband Simon ventured to the New World, settling in what would become Boston, Massachusetts.
Life’s Work
Anne Bradstreet's legacy exists on both personal and literary fronts. As one of the early settlers of Massachusetts Bay, she assumed the roles of wife and mother to eight children, while managing the demands of colonial life amid frequent bouts of illness. Her poetic work, however, is what cements her place in history, intertwined with her identity as a colonial woman.
Although the exact timeline of her early poetry remains uncertain, by 1647, her brother-in-law, Reverend John Woodbridge, carried her poems back to England. In 1650, her collection, The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America, became the first book of poetry published by an American in London. Despite its traditional themes and lengthy quaternions on the four elements, humors, ages of man, and seasons, this work established her reputation.
Bradstreet's poetic journey was one of perseverance under challenging conditions, lacking a community of literary peers. Her poetic "apprenticeship" was marked by isolation, and her early works, including lengthy pieces like The Four Monarchies, reflect this struggle. Yet, she continued refining her craft, moving from traditional subjects to deeply personal domestic themes in her later works.
"The Prologue" from The Tenth Muse stands out for its candid exploration of her role as a female poet in a male-dominated field. Though some interpreted her humility as genuine, others see a layer of irony in her words, subtly challenging men's "superiority." Her wit shines as she asks for humble "thyme or parsley wreath" instead of laurels, acknowledging botanical relations between bay leaves and kitchen spices.
Despite her initial publication's lack of consent, as expressed in "The Author to Her Book," Bradstreet took pride in her literal children, likening them to "eight birds hatched in one nest." Her later poems, often letters to her husband Simon, reveal a profound affection for him, despite their arranged marriage. Her works evoke intimate portraits of family life, her health struggles, and losses, including the burning of her home in 1666.
"Contemplations," one of her most admired poems, lacks specific dating...
(This entire section contains 1043 words.)
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but showcases her mature voice. Spanning thirty-three stanzas, this poem blends public and personal themes, reflecting her religious meditations and nature's beauty. Her prose work,Meditations Divine and Moral, composed for her son, urges a turn from worldly concerns to an eternal Puritan faith.
Anne Bradstreet passed away on September 16, 1672, at sixty, leaving behind a lasting poetic legacy.
Summary
Anne Bradstreet's poetry navigated the realms of meditation and lyricism, shaped by the religious and domestic spheres of her time. While later poets would transcend these boundaries, Bradstreet's art was unparalleled in her era, surpassing many religious and domestic female writers of the next two centuries. In the culturally restricted Massachusetts of the 1600s, she adapted English and French Renaissance techniques to her personal experiences, making her an original voice in poetry.
Bradstreet blazed a trail for future women poets. Although she did not seek to publish her work actively, she persisted in composing original poetry, with her final datable piece, "As Weary Pilgrim," penned in 1669. Her literary contributions distinguish her from her English female predecessors, who largely focused on translating male-authored works. It wasn't until Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea, born a year before Bradstreet's death, that another woman would challenge male dominance in poetry so directly.
Recognition of Bradstreet's achievements persisted, notably in John Berryman's 1953 poem Homage to Mistress Bradstreet, which signifies a modern appreciation of her dual struggle against her environment and the English language. Her work endures as a testament to her pioneering spirit as a poet.
Bibliography
Bradstreet, Anne. The Works of Anne Bradstreet. Edited by Jeannine Hensley. Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1967. This modern edition offers insights with a foreword by Adrienne Rich, an informative introduction, and a chronological arrangement of Bradstreet’s poems.
Cowell, Pattie, and Ann Stanford, eds. Critical Essays on Anne Bradstreet. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1983. A compilation of critical perspectives, this anthology features essays from colonial times to the modern era, highlighting a feminist viewpoint.
Martin, Wendy. An American Triptych: Anne Bradstreet, Emily Dickinson, Adrienne Rich. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1984. Martin discusses Bradstreet as a foundational figure in a "female counter-poetic" aligned with Puritan values.
Rosenmeier, Rosamond. Anne Bradstreet Revisited. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991. This study replaces Josephine K. Piercy’s earlier work, examining Bradstreet through the lenses of daughter, wife, and mother, and her creative evolution.
Stanford, Ann. Anne Bradstreet: The Worldly Puritan. New York: Burt Franklin, 1975. A comprehensive biography and critique, exploring the tension between Bradstreet's Puritan roots and her poetic vision.
White, Elizabeth W. Anne Bradstreet. New York: Oxford University Press, 1971. A thorough biography detailing the religious and political influences on Bradstreet’s life and her poetic transformation of personal hardships.
