An Interpretation: Who Was Anne Bradstreet

An Interpretation: Who was Anne Bradstreet?

While reading the poetry of Anne Bradstreet, the straightforward Puritanical figure emerges, as well as the loving, caring person she was. She was truly a faithful puritan, but she was also a daughter, wife, mother, scholar and critic. In her poetry she balances both sides.

In the poem “Upon the Burning of Our House” she is definite in her belief in God, and shows her spiritual growth as she learns amazing, heartfelt lessons. This poem could be interpreted to be an insight on her judgment day. However line 6 “Let no man know is my desire” shows a personal side of Bradstreet. She prays that another person not ever feel the pain she felt at that moment. The pain and grief she was suffering, watching all her worldly possessions burn, probably some of her writings as well, made her cry out to her Lord and God. Lines 7 and 8 “And when I could no longer look, I blest his name that gave and took” show again her powerful belief in God. God giveth, and God taketh away. Through this tragedy she learned to always thank God, to remember earthly belongings can be gone in one flame, And that true wealth lies in heaven.

Bradstreet shows a deeper personal side in poems “To My Dear and Loving Husband”, and “Before the Birth of one of her Children”. Puritans believed that marriage was, in God’s eyes, only for procreation. In the poems she writes of her deep love for her husband. Lines 7 and 8

of the poem “To My Dear and Loving husband”, “My love is such that rivers cannot quench, nor ought but love from thee recompense” show this love. She wants nothing in return from her husband except his love. Nothing else will ever be as good to her as his love. For a Puritan woman to express her undying love for her husband was certainly taboo and never discussed in the Puritan society. She again expresses her love for him in the poem “Before the Birth of one of her Children”. She writes to him about her fear of not surviving childbirth. In lines 25 through 28, “And if chance to thine eyes shall bring this verse with some sad sighs honor my absent hearse; And kiss this paper for thy love’s dear sake, who with salt tears this last farewell did take” she is faced with the fear of dying, yet her thoughts